After spending hours these past few weeks looking at old family videos, I’ve realized that those old videos were really just a glimpse into the future. Until watching some of the videos, I hadn’t realized that many of the interests, talents and traits displayed by my children and grandchildren at an early age were really a sign for things yet to come.

Some of the best videos are those shot when the subject is oblivious to the camera in the room. People tend to show their true colors when they think nobody else is watching. There is an adorable video that I’ll be sharing soon on my own blog of my grandson, Nathaniel, when he was very young. He was listening to music on the computer, singing and jamming out with his father’s guitar. He was really getting into it! It was hysterical when he realized that he was being recorded. Fast forward to today, at age sixteen he has his own band and plays guitar for Georgia 4H Clovers and Company. I hadn’t realized way back then that there was a future rock star in the family.

Then there was my grandson, Sidney, who spent many hours in his playroom as a young boy building LEGO ships, castles and aircrafts. He had a real nac for it and amazed me with his creations. It’s no surprise that he has ended up with a career as a master mechanic, as a young adult.

It was fun to watch video of my granddaughter, Becca, doing somersaults and cartwheels in her ballerina costume at age six. She displayed a true gift for tumbling at an early age and is now a high level competitive cheerleader. The cartwheels have since been replaced by round off – back tucks, but the same enthusiasm that was there 10 years ago exists today.

Now that I’ve come to the realization that these personality traits and talents were visible so early on, I find myself paying close attention to the actions of my youngest grandchildren. I’m taking mental note, and am interested to see how these talents and personality traits blossom in the years to come.

Laura Kromer resides in rural Georgia and is recently retired. She enjoys traveling and freelance writing. She is owner and co-writer of the family and lifestyle blog About a Mom, along with one of her daughters, Angela.