You can see them alongside the shuffleboard courts in Florida or on the porches of the old folks’ homes up north: an old man with snow-white hair, a little hard of hearing, reading the newspaper through a magnifying glass; an old woman in a shapeless dress, her knuckles gnarled by arthritis, wearing sandals to ease her aching arches.
They are holding hands, and in a little while they will totter off to take a nap, and then she will cook supper, not a very good supper and they will watch television, each knowing exactly what the other is thinking, until it is time for bed. They may even have a good, soul-stirring argument, just to prove that they still really care. And through the night they will snore unabashedly, each resting content because the other is there.
They are in love, they have always been in love, although sometimes they would have denied it. And because they have been in love they have survived everything that life could throw at them, even their own failures. Ernest Havemann, Bits & Pieces, June 24, 1993, pp. 7-9.
If we discovered that we had five minutes left to say all we wanted to say, every telephone booth would be occupied by people calling other people to stammer that they love them. Why wait until the last five minutes? C. Morley
Reflections From Karan:
As I watched my husband hang up each of our daughters’ wedding pictures in our new home, I remembered all the laughter, joy, and craziness of their childhood. In the quietness of our dream home, I am left with quiet memories of endless dishes, piles of dirty clothes, backpacks filled to overflowing, and always racing to get somewhere quick. It was a time we thought would never end. Continuous games, parties, and worry. Wishing for five minutes of peace and quiet, and telling myself someday I would have time to do all the things I dreamed of.
My dream was to take a long, hot bubble bath with candles in a dimly lit room.The kind of bath that will soak all your stress away with the right candles, bath oil, and music that will relax your soul. However, I had three vivacious daughters, who loved to sit around the bathroom telling me about their day at school, doing impressions (of teachers, boys, and friends), and regaling me with their newest jokes and stories.
As I look back I see that my daughters thought my quiet time was their time, because I was not talking on the phone, doing business, or attending to someone else’s needs. When I was in the bathtub under all the bubbles, my daughters knew they had my full attention.
The years passed and I kept holding on to my elusive dream, which seemed so far away. A long, hot bubble bath. Candles and soft music with no interruptions. Resting quietly, stress free.
However, a funny thing happened along the road of maturity. I do not take baths anymore. I find they are not as much fun as they use to be. The water gets cold too fast and it is far too quiet.
It was something I wished for all my life, but it is something I no longer enjoy. I loved those times of laughter, stories, and heart-to-heart talks. I am a shower girl now. God must have a sense of humor.
Many times in my life with all the craziness, if I could not laugh, I would have cried. Even when things are tough, to find humor in the little things gives me hope. ©
Give me a sense of humor, Lord
Give me the Grace to see the joke,
To get some humor out of life
And pass it on to other folk.
Thank you for dropping by and sharing your time with me. What are your favorite memories? I would love to hear from you.
Have a great week!
Lovingly, Karan Gleddie