Moments

2/11/2020

Have you ever pondered the word, 'moment'? This is where I'm at today...setting here almost numb in my thoughts with this moment and that moment dancing around in my head like sugar plum fairies. If only they were sugar plum fairies!

I remember there was a moment when I experienced that first kiss from my one true love...oh the stars I saw. Poof -- guess it wasn't the prince!

What about the moment I competed in UIL competition and learned I had made 1's all across the board even after I had to tell the accompanist to quit playing while I played my piece on the violin as a solo without the accompaniment. (yikes)...I hopped, skipped and jumped throughout the Civic Center and was elated in disbelief after seeing my name and the 1's posted!

I recall a moment when I must have been about 7 or 8 years old, our family traveled to Dallas, Texas to attend Six Flags for the very first time. Mom and I had boarded a car on the Mini Mine Train. In fact, we sat in the very first car of that roller coaster. She placed her purse down between her legs -and here we go...clackity clack, click, click, and around the bend we went-we hit that very first dip and I thought my mom was going to jump out of that car. She was terrified of that little ride - all I

could do was laugh. When it was over, I wanted to get back in line...

There was a moment back in 2001 when I lived up in Illinois. I only lived there for a little over a year. It was soon to be Valentine's Day and my anniversary. I decided I was going to do something special for my husband. I rented a limousine and made reservations at a secluded resort that had a jacuzzi bathtub in the room. My youngest daughter at the time was 5 years old...she was so mad that I was getting dad a koozie. She told everyone that dad was getting a koozie. She would say, "I'm not getting a koozie and I'm so mad!" In her little mind, she thought it was the can huggie that her dad was getting! 

2019's vacation to the Smokey Mountains...watch out for the bears!!! 

This was the highlight of my vacation!! 

What about the time we were helping dad with newspapers because he was down a couple of route carriers. Yes, my dad was a Circulation Manager at the Amarillo Globe-News. The daily paper of the town. Anytime he was down paper carriers, guess who he called on. Yes, that's right - - my brother and me! I grew up in newspapers. I threw them from the car windows, I placed them in the newspapers stands, I hand-delivered them to people's porches, I threw them into their yards. I even got chased around a tree once by a dog! I just knew that dang dog was going to bite me. I hated throwing newspapers and to this day I can't stand the sight of a rubber band!!! Anyway, my brother and I were sitting on the tailgate because dad would drive slowly down the road while my brother and I would take an armload of newspapers, run into the customer's yards and place the papers on their porches. I had just hopped back onto the bed of the truck. Dad backed up into a ditch and down I went. My legs were dangling off and he backed up so far, that when he went down in the culvert, it bent my legs and ankles backward - here I am laying in pain and agony while dad is driving down the road unbeknownst to him that I was laying in the ditch! Those moments...

I recall a moment in my early teen years one Sunday morning I decided I was going to shave off my bushy eyebrows. I blamed it on my sister! LOL Because of my ethnicity, (half Italian) - in my younger years, my eyebrows were very thick, and I almost had a unibrow - of course, I'm starting my teen years and I can't have bushy eyebrows and a unibrow! Out came the razor...I wonder if she remembers that one!?

The moment I saw some of my mom's artwork from the Adult Coloring books she had. 

Mom's creativity

There was the moment in life my firstborn was born. A son...we were ecstatic. His grandfather was looking at him through the glass window and asked my husband, 'is his head going to stay like a cone'? The room broke out with loud laughter...

Wait, then there's that moment I had been visiting g'ma Kercher up on Polk Street...I hadn't had my driver's license very long. Driving home down past the park (which was really 'up' hill) a police officer pulled me over. Yes, you got it right - I just received my first speeding ticket...I got home, told mom and dad and I insisted the car was accelerating by itself up that hill! Dad didn't buy it. just shaking my head...

The moment when my granddad was very sick with cancer...in a previous post, I mentioned he and my granny raised me when I was young. I stayed with them until their passing which was between

My granddad and granny - oh yea, that's me at 2 years old

the 3rd and 4th grades. I recall people in the church were bringing food in because he was so sick. He couldn't eat this, and he couldn't have that. I warmed up a plate of food - it was a casserole dish. The next day he passed away. I just knew I killed him with the cheese from that casserole - as he could NOT eat cheese! That thought haunted me for years on end...I didn't have anything to do with his death. It was the horrible disease of cancer. Little did I know in the 3rd or 4th grade!

Slumber party at the neighbor kids house...all of us girls were having one of those moments we were going to talk with the dead. We were all sitting around in a circle. There must have been six or seven of us. I really don't remember how many of us were there. Over on a nightstand, there was a candle flickering casting a glow about the room.  We were in a quiet whisper telling 'ghost' stories I think...when suddenly, a very LOUD boom crashes against the wall. All of us girls jumped up screaming and I went running home. After all, I only lived catty-corner to that neighbor. Those boys were playing a joke on all the girls. They knew we were telling 'ghost' stories and they wanted in on the fun...I never told ghost stories again after that! And just think, now I walk with the ancestors daily as the family genealogist!

The moment sitting at my computer and seeing the photograph of my birth father loading up on the screen - - complete silence! That was the first time I had ever seen a photograph, that day in 2014. WOW...

My daughter's tattoo in honor of her babies she lost...and to think now, she'll be having her rainbow baby any day!

My baby girl

I'm recalling a moment back in April 2009 when my adopted father passed away in the VA Hospital. The RN came in and draped his body with the American Flag. Over the loudspeaker, Taps began to play...it was a beautiful moment among the grief. 

My 102-year-old cousin

Over Labor Day 2019, I'm recalling the moment I had the amazing opportunity of meeting a new cousin of mine off of my 2nd Great Grandfather's line. She was 102 years old. When I walked into her house, with such excitement in her voice - she exclaimed, "is that my Texas cousin?" I had an amazing day listening to her tell stories of our shared families...her memory was sharp as a tack! 

Moments are those measures of times we capture in our memories that come from joyous times to the times of great sorrow. I could go and on and on with different memories, but I need to get something accomplished today besides reminiscing life as it was yesterday. 

When was the last time you thought about all the memories you have locked away in your heart, your mind, your life? Are there any that make you smile today when you think about them? I had a few laughs earlier writing this post. A few brought a sigh of relief and others I took a long, slow, deep breath. 

Like many of you, I have moments I'd much rather just forget about and move on...but that was life. I have the choice of how I process them. I can either let them have power over other things or find comfort in knowing that those memories happened yesterday, and I don't have to carry them into my tomorrow. 

Sometime this week, I'll have other great moments deposited into my memories with the birth of my third grandson - hoping that in those precious moments, I'm not saying goodbye to my mom and now she can walk with the angels. 

Until next time...

Deposit this one into your memories! 

Heart to Heart Soul Creations

H2hsc2020