childhood
Cooler and more moderate breezes flow today through the trees and garden here on the farm. This is such a welcomed reprieve from the scorching high humidity days experienced just a week ago. As a child growing up here before the days of central air conditioning and heat, the windows in spring, summer, and fall were opened wide to accept any breezes that might blow through to keep the heat from overtaking us. Most of the time in those years was spent out of doors, working the fields, playing with friends, or exploring the streams and springs under the canopy of the forest. Although chores were consistent, there was always time for discovering new and different ways of enjoying the hazy days of summer. Indulging the cauldron of memories of those youthful summers stirs up a delightful aroma of gratitude that permeates today. Morning chores completed, this boomer can now bask in the sheltered breeze with a good book and thankful memories that become a vital part of tomorrow’s recollection.
The bright glow of the morning sun streaks through the kitchen window illuminating the old Hoosier cabinet that stands as evidence of many years past. Gleaming now in its well worn state it still stands as harbinger of spices, kitchen supplies and a few seldom used pans. Almost unnoticed at other times, this handsome relic seems to shout its long lasting utility on this sunny spring morning. Childhood memories of my mother sifting flour from the built in bin as she began the preparation of homemade biscuits begin to flow. Inside the roll-up cabinet face was once my baby bottle from which this then two year old would take his fill. Deep in memory is the warmth that permeated the kitchen as the wood cook stove was heating up for the meal preparation under way. Long gone are the stove, the flour, the baby bottle and the loving hands that showed mastery of them all. Still lingering are the warm memories flashed upon the mind’s screen by the bright glow of the sun this spring morning. Midst challenges to maintain and even regain physical flexibility from a winter’s repose, thankfulness for the blessings already amassed fuel hope and gratitude for what is now and what will come. “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
As the reception tent was being dismantled, Gracie the Golden pup was nosing her way into each person’s attention. Suddenly, from a car that just pulled behind the tent transport truck came a lady I didn’t recognize. As she approached, having maneuvered around the ever more excited pup, she looked at me and called my name from years ago. “Do you know who I am?” she asked. I looked deep into her eyes and was at a loss for recognition. She said her name and a flood of memories washed over me. She and I had gone to school together from grades one through twelve. I had directed her wedding our senior year in high school. She remarked at how different I looked and that she hardly recognized me upon her arrival that day. We reminded each other that fifty years of living had rendered us each with the “mature” looks we now express. We briefly reminisced and shared snippets of life currently before she parted for a part time care taking responsibility she has recently assumed. Commitment to stay in touch since we now live two miles apart was sealed with a hug. The journey to the place of childhood memories and experiences that day brought me to the realization that the move back to my childhood abode is not a journey back to my childhood. Today’s experiences are different from those gone before, but are made richer by the threads of memories that weave the fabric of now. Although PD is currently a recognizable chord, it only has a small role in the sum of life’s equation. Gratitude remains the multiplier that factors into the total of today’s rendering.