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Lucy Williams's avatar

I cleared out my 23 year old’s room now inhabited by his 22 year old brother on Saturday. There was at least 12 empty trainers boxes, a vast quantity of various cables, empty AirPod cases. In the tangle of these mixed possessions there was the treasure: the tiny favourite car, the rubix cube, a snooker ball. My sons are equally unmaterialistic. They have what they need and that’s it.

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

I have kept the cars. Also the dinosaurs x

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Lucy Williams's avatar

There are teddies and a knitted Spider-Man in the loft ( also my home office) sitting on a shelf like characters from bagpuss. They have to scarper during zoom job interviews.

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Rachel's avatar

Oh my gosh my boy is who your boy was. The stones. The Yoto. The chess. The SO MUCH lego. Thank you for being a pleasure to read on a Monday morning - making the world one tiny bit better.

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

This is just the loveliest message. Thank you! 🙏

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An ordinary life's avatar

As the mother of a 9 year old boy this really touched me… we still come home with random stones, sticks, leaves and I know some day this will stop and I will probably not notice for a while, maybe be a little relieved at first…. Change is constant and I’ve loved every stage so far… but man oh man the letting go is hard…

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

Particularly with boys. It aches. X

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Jo's avatar

Love this. I have three sons in their twenties and it took me right back to their early teens, the overwhelming smell of Lynx Africa and hair wax taking over from the Lego, Meccano, Playmobil and the beloved wooden railway. Fond is the word. Now mine lift me off my feet when they give me a hug! Lovely bit of writing, thank you.

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

Thank you Jo. I’m looking forward to being lifted ☺️

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Liz Bellamy's avatar

Amazing, I had one just like him who is now 40, married and still kind and my big support !

Have a great day

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

You too! I couldn’t imagine 12 and I certainly can’t conceive of 40!

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Delyth's avatar

Touching funny and gorgeous xxx

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Mark Diacono's avatar

'a drawer full of cheap custard creams, which he sells singly at school for a profit'. I love him too

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Deborah McDonnell's avatar

I remember when my son woke up one day and decided to cull most of his stuff. Looking back I realise that these things they discard are still “with” them, it’s just their physical presence is no longer required. But it’s hard for us, isn’t it. He is 31 now and still a minimalist 😆

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

Oh to have birthed a minimalist!!! I would love that!

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Deborah  Baker's avatar

Yes my son now 33 has done a number of purges His books are few some sporting memorabilia plus travel stuff

The dear daughter on the other hand has bags of clothes books things xxxx

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

They just don’t have the same nature do they!

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Sue Bolton's avatar

This is so sweet and so like my own son who is now 40 and still never wants or asks for anything and appreciates everything we do for him 🥰

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

Love this x

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Jo Hillsley-Martin's avatar

Aaaaaawwww ……. he sounds just wonderful Laetitia xxx

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

I am FOND X

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Nicki's avatar

I love the story these photos tell.

I am so sentimental that as our boy grew and happily cast things from his childhood aside I felt a little bit distraught! He is so very different from me in that respect. The Lego didn't disappear completely though...

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

I feel like a lot of the Lego will keep turning up until we die!

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Nicki's avatar

🤣🤣🤣

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Sarah's avatar

I love this SO MUCH. Resonates because my son is v similar (although I’d kill for him to have a shelf of books).

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

I’d kill for my girls to love reading too! X

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Ursula's avatar

He sounds like such a treasure.❤️

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

😍

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Gina Ferrari's avatar

I am a mother of four sons (all now very much grown up) and this resonated with me bringing back memories of their uncomplicated younger selves. I love that your son sells custard creams. How enterprising!

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

There seems to be a healthy black market at school!

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Pip's avatar

How do those books stay up? 🤣

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Laetitia Maklouf's avatar

By the bed? It’s an invisible shelf thing that slides into the cover of the first book…that book becomes the shelf… ☺️

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