“And that’s when I heard the whisper in my heart’s ear: “It’s not about your childhood. It’s about who you are!” ― C. JoyBell C.
What do you remember about when you were a kid? I don’t remember much before school age. Just a few rare memories from very young ages. We drove to Oregon on a family trip when I was five, almost six, and I remember little bits of that trip here and there. I remember playing in an old bus and thinking one of the kids we were visiting was not much fun to be around. I remember frankfurters such as I’d never seen before at one place. I remember Aunt Martha who rode home with us to visit family here in Kentucky and how she let us pull up the loose skin on the back of her hand and how odd that seemed to me. I remember sitting on the edge of a steep cliff or so it seemed to me at Mount Rushmore. I don’t remember seeing the carved presidents although that’s why we were sitting there.
Then after I started school, I do remember much more. Learning to read from those books about “See Jane jump” and so forth. Even then I wondered why they couldn’t have more of a story for us to read. I remember being very shy but well behaved. And that brings me to my reason to meander down this road tonight.
Last week when I went to the grocery store after the toilet paper rush was in full swing with empty shelves throughout as though people thought all groceries were going to close for forever at five that night, I didn’t get some of the things I was shopping for but I did get a gift. A woman I didn’t recognize stopped me to talk. And no, at that time we didn’t keep our proper social distancing. The six feet advice came later.
First she told me I looked like my mother. I’ve always treasured that compliment any time I got it which was rarely. So our conversation was off on a good note. From some of the things she said I had guessed her family but still didn’t know her. So, I just asked. Sometimes that’s better than wondering forever. She was one of a large family of eight children, I think she said, who at one time rented a house from my grandfather. I had often heard my mother talk about the family, but I didn’t remember when they lived on my grandfather’s farm. The lady was a few years older than me and so had more memories of that time. She told me how kind my grandfather was to her family and how nice my mother and dad were too. It seems when the family went through a rough time, my grandfather told them not to worry about paying the rent for a while. She did go on to say that when her mother later was able to she did pay what she owed on the rent. Obviously it was a pride thing for her to pay her debts.
The lady went on to say that my mother sometimes stopped to get them to take us all down to the creek to go swimming and what fun that was. And then she said she remembered how I was such a busy little girl and made it sound as though I may have been ready to get into everything. It was interesting to see myself through another’s eyes and to picture myself as a very little girl the way I can picture my daughter and granddaughters at that young age. But I had never really tried to imagine how I might have been during those toddler years.
I left the store feeling as though I had received a sweet gift. She didn’t have to share those memories with me. Often we don’t take time to share good things with others, but there in the grocery store we paused a few minutes to go back in time. I didn’t remember, but I rode her memory train back with her and saw my family and me through her eyes. I left the store with something better than a sack of groceries. I had a heart full of memories.
The Caption Game is over
I started to use the picture of Mom and me for the caption picture last week but decided to save it for this memory story instead. I do appreciate how you all made my caption game such fun this time, and the same as with the other pictures, you came up with some great captions for my busy artists picture. I liked Mary’s about doing the limbo after the sticks dried. Marji had the great idea that I could have told the story of Moses and his staff while they were painting the walking sticks. Connie has obviously been around boys and said they’d think they were snakes and try to scare somebody. I enjoyed the captions on each picture and appreciate all those of you who took time to play the game. We’ll do it again sometime. But first we’ll have to try another mystery picture game soon.
I did pick my two winners by giving each comment a number, throwing the numbers in an electronic drawing hat and picking the winning numbers on randomnumber.org. Mary O from Florida and Kathy L from NC were the winners. Mary picked Orchard of Hope and since I gave her the option of grab bagging another of my books instead of the other choices I gave her, she picked Love Comes Home. Kathy did the same but picked The Refuge and The Blessed.
As always, thanks for reading.
What’s one of your earliest memories?
Comments 14
Being at my aunts house and being inside putting my hand on the screened door trying to touch the bees. The warm summer breeze wafting through.
Author
Maybe it was a good thing you didn’t touch those bees, Lisa. I’m guessing your mother was telling you not too. But oh, the memories of those screen doors banging shut. And sometimes we’d have a kitten that would climb up the screen and then get stuck and have to be rescued.
Going to get my picture taken and playing with the sand in the ashtrays
Author
The things we remember, Chris. LOL. I’m wondering if you remember playing with that sand because you were told not to. I took my little girl to get her pictures taken when she was three. I’ll have to ask her if she remembers that. I didn’t especially like the photographer, so I remember it really well. He wasn’t very nice to my shy little girl.
All my precious memories are coming to Kentucky every year for 2 weeks and being with all my cousins.
Author
Some of my best memories are times with my cousins, Linda. We had so much fun.
One of my earliest memories is of a visit to my grandfather’s farm in Michigan. I was trying to pet a barn cat and accidentally fell down the hay chute and landed next to the bull pen downstairs. My uncle ran as fast as he could down to the first floor to rescue me not knowing what condition I’d be in, what I’d do next, or what the bull might do. While I was stunned, I was not permanently hurt, so I must have fallen on some hay.
Author
I can understand why that memory stuck with you, Suzanne. I’m sure you were stunned to start in one place wanting to pet a cat and the next thing you know you’re face to face, sort of, with a bull. Your uncle’s worry and fright probably made the moment eve more memorable. No doubt that’s a family story he told often, with laughter because you weren’t hurt.
Thanks for sharing. Great early memory.
My mother, sister, and I lived with my aunt and her and her seven sons in a one bedroom house. There was no electricity or running water in the house. I was in kindergarten and my sister was three. My father had left my mother just before my sister was born.
I know that those days were extremely difficult for my mother but we girls loved being there. We romped around in the woods everyday and had grand adventures.
My mother met and married a man whose wife had left him with his two daughters. They were a few years older than the two of us.
They married in December and we , of course, moved into his house. It had two bedrooms!
An hour or so after arriving at that house my sister climbed up into mother’s lap and said she needed to go to the “outhouse”. Mother told her to go ahead and go to which my sister replied, “Well, get my coat down”. Everyone had a good laugh since our new house had both electricity and running water, and an indoor bathroom.
Author
Great early memories. That was one crowded house, but it just shows that family will come through for you, whatever it takes. And that it’s an ill wind that blows no good. Oh, the adventures children of today miss out on because they have those many bedrooms and electronic entertainment. With that many kids in one house, you had to “escape” to the woods. A cute story about your little sister too. I sort of used that idea a bit in my upcoming release when I talk about a young mountain girl going to the city to be treated in a hospital and feeling funny “doing her business” in the house. Thanks for sharing your memories, Sharon.
When I was 3 in 1944 our dad was stationed at Fort Ord and we lived in Carmel, both in CA. My younger sister was born there. First of all I remember sitting at my mother’s feet as she sat in the rocking chair nursing my sister. Second, before she was born I was potty trained but I reverted back when she made her appearance. Mother nipped that problem in the bud by setting an alarm and getting me up every two hours to take a trip to the bathroom!
Took only one night to solve that problem! I, also, remember being terrified of going down the drain when she pulled the plug in the tub! 😊 Beautiful picture of you and your Mom. It’s hard to believe that we were once that little. Stay safe and stay well. Praying for our country and our world! 🙏🏻
Author
Fun memories, Karen. The memories that stay with us from those very early years are usually something that really matters such as your new baby sister. I seem to remember playing around the bed when my grandmother was sick prior to her dying, but it’s so vague I’m not sure if the memory is real.
I’ve heard about other kids being concerned about draining out with the water in a tub. Not something I had to worry about when I was a little kid. We had those galvanized tubs that had to be emptied. LOL.
Prayers are needed for sure.
Thanks for sharing your memories .
One of my earliest memories was when I was four just before my baby sister was born and my grandparents had come. They used to take us for walks. We lived above a railroad track and sometimes saw a circus train go by. I remember making May baskets and taking them to the neighbors.
Our neighbor’s name was Irene and her son was Richard. My mother used to sing “Goodnight Irene” and “Open the Door Richard” for fun.
Author
Sweet memories, Paula. I can only imagine the fun of seeing a circus train go by. That had to be neat and if I ever had a character living in the right place in a story would make a great scene in a story.
Sounds as though you had a good time with your neighbors and your mom.