What do you give your mother on her 90th birthday? My five siblings and I compiled a book of the lifetime memories that meant the most to us. Looking over the 188 events that were unforgettable, I was surprised at the simple things, the little things, that shaped our lives. Here are a few:
Watching Mom and Dad plant marigolds all around the little side patio.
Sitting on Dad's lap watching TV.
Peeling apples with mom on the back porch.
Aunt Velma's jokes and fried pies.
Hot fudge sundaes after every doctor's appointment.
Sharing a hymnbook with Dad singing, "What A Friend We Have in Jesus."
Lilacs ouside the kitchen window and lily of the valley in front of the porch.
Sunday night Charades.
Mom drying underwear inside the oven.
Combing Dad's and Mom's hair and making them look silly.
Mom scrubbing the dark blue linoleum on her hands and knees.
Getting up early with Dad to have coffee with dunk bread.
Weeding the garden.
Dad frying his home grown egg plant.
Standing on the sofa, looking out the window, waiting for Dad to come home.
Picking bing cherries and selling them.
Tent camping.
Swinging on the Maple Tree swing.
Roller skating in the basement.
Watching Grandma Wolford stoke the wood stove, so she could make Mothers Oats.
Melting Hershey bars for hot fudge sundaes.
Mom delivering pie to Mrs. Snuth.
Riding up and down the dental chair at Grandad Wolford's house.
Cold, snowy nights. The comfort and peace of the house.
Saying bedtime prayers with Mom.
Parents today work hard to give their children the best in life. My parents did too. But the best in life comes from the simple things that splash us with serenity when we don't even realize it. Then 90th birthdays arrive and we remember, and we say, "Thanks, Mom and Dad, for our wonderful life. We were blessed by you."
What's your unforgettable childhood memory? I suspect it came unexpectedly, perhaps unplanned, and it didn't cost a dime.
Keep life simple! That's my Splash of Serenity to you today.
Elaine
