I am trying to remember just when my 3 year old son first started saying things like, "when I was big" or "when I was old". I think it was just before his third birthday (he is now almost 4). I used to downplay his comments as those of an imaginative child. What made me listen more carefully to what he would say in conjunction with these lead-ins happened between Christmas and New Year's this past year (1999). I'd taken the week off from work to be home with my 3 kids. On this day, I took him to visit my sister at her office, which had been where my dad (whom my older kids called Poppy)worked until the time of his death in 1991. My sister is, and our dad was, an architect. As we got out of the car, my son pointed to my father's old car that was still sitting in the parking lot behind his office building (don't ask why), and said, "I used to drive in that car when I was big." I was so stunned that I didn't have the presence of mind to ask him for any further information. But, I remember thinking, "who were you?"
When I returned to work after New Year's, I looked up "past lives" using an internet search engine and found this website.
About a month ago, at the dinner table one Friday evening, my son started talking about when he was 17, and continued to tell my husband, our two other children and myself about his life then. He talked about the time he and his Poppy got milk one time from the cow's "odors" and then fed the cows some grass. He said he also helped his Poppy feed the chickens. As he gave us more information, I asked him things like, "and what did you do after that", or "where were you when this happened," trying not to lead him anywhere in particular. Our son seemed clear and focused and older while he was telling us his story, and seemed insistent about the details he was telling us. He used the word "odors" for udders, a word that I had never heard him use before. When his story was finished, he returned to being the carefree 3 year old he is. I immediately wrote down what he said, and asked my husband and my other two kids what they remembered he said (too much to put here).
Then, just last night, a friend was visiting our home. She just returned from a vacation in Spain and was showing us her photos. My son wanted to be involved in what we were doing, but insisted on looking at a pile of photos that I had on a nearby shelf. The last photo we looked at was a group photo taken at my wedding. My son pointed to the my father in the photo and said, "That was when I was Poppy."
Since before my son was conceived, I felt sure that I would have another son, and that he would be happy and healthy (my two older children have congenital heart conditions, and our youngest doesn't). Long before he started to talk of when he was big, my husband and I would often comment about things about him that reminded us of my dad. For example, he complains vociferously about bad-smelling things, however slight the smell, just like my dad did.
In the past year I cleared out the house that my father grew up in and found early photos of my dad that I had never seen before. I was struck then how much my son looks like him. I am wondering what this all means. I would appreciate your thoughts and comments.
When I returned to work after New Year's, I looked up "past lives" using an internet search engine and found this website.
About a month ago, at the dinner table one Friday evening, my son started talking about when he was 17, and continued to tell my husband, our two other children and myself about his life then. He talked about the time he and his Poppy got milk one time from the cow's "odors" and then fed the cows some grass. He said he also helped his Poppy feed the chickens. As he gave us more information, I asked him things like, "and what did you do after that", or "where were you when this happened," trying not to lead him anywhere in particular. Our son seemed clear and focused and older while he was telling us his story, and seemed insistent about the details he was telling us. He used the word "odors" for udders, a word that I had never heard him use before. When his story was finished, he returned to being the carefree 3 year old he is. I immediately wrote down what he said, and asked my husband and my other two kids what they remembered he said (too much to put here).
Then, just last night, a friend was visiting our home. She just returned from a vacation in Spain and was showing us her photos. My son wanted to be involved in what we were doing, but insisted on looking at a pile of photos that I had on a nearby shelf. The last photo we looked at was a group photo taken at my wedding. My son pointed to the my father in the photo and said, "That was when I was Poppy."
Since before my son was conceived, I felt sure that I would have another son, and that he would be happy and healthy (my two older children have congenital heart conditions, and our youngest doesn't). Long before he started to talk of when he was big, my husband and I would often comment about things about him that reminded us of my dad. For example, he complains vociferously about bad-smelling things, however slight the smell, just like my dad did.
In the past year I cleared out the house that my father grew up in and found early photos of my dad that I had never seen before. I was struck then how much my son looks like him. I am wondering what this all means. I would appreciate your thoughts and comments.