Summer Memories
I was sitting in the sun, listening to the sounds of summer, this morning &
I remembered other days like this. Days of long ago. Quiet days, when life was…simpler, kinder. We weren’t aware of crime, wars or social injustice and knew nothing of hatred.
That was because of my Parents.
Mama was raised in a town with about 200 people, farm people, salt of the earth people. They still plowed their fields with a teams of horses and a plow. She grew up poor but with lots of love.
Daddy was raised in rough, dangerous Brooklyn, NY, in the 1920-30’s. When he was a teenager, he was sent upstate to an aunts farm. From there he learned what love was, how to live, and be at peace. He was given the gift of love. That first smile must have been something to see.
We, as their children were very sheltered. Mama knew no other way to raise kids having help raise her 5 brothers and sisters.
Daddy, on the other hand, knew how terrible life could be and vowed that his children would grow up safe.
And he did.
He made us strong strong and self sufficient, but most of all safe. I was essentially tethered to Mama’s apron unless my brothers were with me. It was a good life.
We lived next to a small dairy farm in the country. It was fun for us [children]. Life was good, running the fields, going into the hills, then into the woods. We were allowed to keep our innocents.
We played games of great adventure, with running and shouting.
Fighting off bad guys with imaginary guns “Pow, bang!” and invisible arrows.
The hills weren’t really safe, Panthers and brown bears were still around then, but Mama always told us, “If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you.”
There was a tiny stream, which my brothers dammed making what we called a swimming hole. Let’s face it, you couldn’t swim but we could sit in it when it got too hot. The boys made a tree house [2 boards nailed to the tree that they could sit on.] But it was theirs.
For most of my adult life, I’ve remembered the bad stuff as I grew up, but due to my Shadow Work, I have been able to look at my life with new eyes. You know what?
It was good and I am thankful.
Garnet – Sea Witch
