I just ate a bologna and cheese sandwich for lunch. The lunch (or sandwich, rather) of my childhood. I feel oddly compelled to now go visit my Grandma Dixie and sit by the pool, swing in the hammock and play with Peppe and Ramone (the dogs...who have sadly been gone for many years now). Grandma Dixie and Papaw Roman had this wonderful house...or I thought it was wonderful and it was probably just average...but you know how you idolize things when you were a kid....and make them out to be something really fabulous when really, its not that impressive after all :-) But Grandma Dixie had a green, frog kitchen. You know...green countertops, green linoleum floor, and I am pretty darn sure that she had a green refridgerator! I loved that kitchen! It was so cool. It looked out into their backyard and I loved to sit on the counter and watch the dogs play, or Papaw mow the grass. Really...those were the days.
I had the wonderful opportunity to not only be raised by my mom and dad, but because my mother passed away when I was just a baby, both sets of my grandparents played a big part in raising me as well. At times I lived with both sets, I was a shared child. I don't think it did me any harm to travel back and forth between Grandparents...I think it was wonderful. I loved doing specific things at each house, and loved each set of my Grandparents equally and for their own unique qualities. (on a side note---since my mother passed away when I was very young, my dad remarried when I was about three...I don't ever remember a time when I didn't know that my mother had died and that Cindy was my really my "step mom"--although she was just always mom to me...but until I was nearly a teenager, I referred to my mother, Donna as my "real mom". How funny is that!? I have no idea when ,or how or why I did that. Like Cindy wasn't a real mom? Ha. Its so funny to me how kids grab on to ideas and concepts and use words to describe an unusual circumstance!) (And is that not the longest run on sentence you've ever seen in a parenthesis?! :-))
How sweet were the days of my childhood. Not that adult life isn't wonderful and sweet in its own way, but I love to remember how good my life has been....especially when I am prone to think that for whatever reason my life is anything less than very, very good right now. Inspired by Corinne's blog and thoughts on childhood and growing old, I'm going to take a few minutes to sit back and reflect about some of the very, very good things about my life....my childhood life. Just the ones that come to mind. If you aren't interested...that's completely cool! I am no way deceived into thinking that anyone or everyone who reads this is interested in what I think has been good in my life. Really, its just journal-ing therapy for me. :-)
1. Watching the planes take off at the airport with my dad when I was little. We lived in Santa Ana, Califonia for about four years (ages 4-8 for me)...and my dad and I had this tradition when my mom worked nights of going to McDonalds for dinner and then heading over to the airport to watch the planes. My dad is a retired pilot who has enjoyed aviation and exposing his children to all things airplanes. I can't tell you how many random airports we have stopped at, or how many airshows I have been too....but watching the planes take off at dusk makes the top of my list as a favorite memory.
2. Swimming at Aqua Tots with my mom after I had my check up with my Rheumatologist. This is another California memory. Most of you know that as a child I was diagnosed with JRA (Juvenille Rheumatoid Arthritis). By God's good grace, I am barely affected by this today, although the disease is still present, just inactive. I was really pretty sick as a child and had to have injections twice a month to help control the disease. After I would have my regular blood draw , shot and check up with my Dr., my mom would take me to this really fun swiming group called Aqua Tots. It was for kids that needed physical therapy...and it was wonderful! I loved to swim already and we would do fun water exercises and I got to run around with all the other kids. Good times.
3. Disneyland, Disneyland, Disneyland. No one understands why I don't think that DisneyWORLD isn't just they best thing ever...well...here is the reason...I grew a little California girl and went to Disneyland a gazillion times! Its basically the happiest place on earth! I'll never forget the vacation we took where Curtis and I both got sick and we ended up having to go to the emergency room at some hospital in California. We have a picture of Curtis and I riding "Dumbo" and we both look like death warmed over. Good times.
4. Building our first house in Brownsburg, Indiana. As a eight year old I was seriously into some crazy fantasy toy called "Lady Lovelylocks"...and you can be sure that my room rocked out to that theme...I got to choose everything and I for sure choose...PINK walls, PINK carpet, a white canopy bed with Lady Lovelylock bedding. It was a sight...shew! But man, I loved that room!
5. My brother getting baptized...or not. :-) As a young family, we attended Eagle Creek Grace Brethren and Curtis had decided that he wanted to be baptized. So...everything was all set up and he was actually IN the tub with the Pastor....he was all ready to be dunked and he refused! I'm sure my parents were mortified, but I thought it was hysterical. He later claimed that the water was too hot :-) Such a great memory.
6.Riding bikes with friends....to the library, to Dairy Queen...to pretty much anywhere we wanted to go (within reason, I suppose...I probably couldn't ride my bike to Avon or anything). I don't remember having many restrictions as to where I could go...I just had to check in from time to time....I remember lots of long summer evenings of playing kickball in the court that our house was on, hanging out at the Haley's jumping on their fantastic trampline or playing nintendo...and I even remember running around friends yards trying to catch lightening bugs. I mean how absolutely picturesque is that!?
There it is. Some great memories. And now, I'm the grown up. And I know Owen is only two, but already I'm hoping and praying that he can look back someday...when he's working extra hard to pay the bills or maybe afford a family vacation...and remember how great his life has been, and how happy his childhood was. More than anything, I want to give this to him...a wonderful, carefree time of life...where lightening bugs are plentiful, trips to the airport with Grandpa are many, and the hours upon hours spent in the pool are delightful. :-)
**On a completely random and unrelated note, I would also like to say that my dear friend, and talented stylist: Candice Moran of John Perry Salon (ahem: Candice is basically awesome and if you don't already have your own talented favorite st hair stylist, you should FOR SURE go see her!), tinted my eyelashes yesterday. I had no idea that something could be done! After complaining about how bad my allergies had been and not being able to wear eye make-up..she suggested this! And...voila! I love it! No more mascara for me! (ok, at least not for awhile!)
No comments:
Post a Comment