Our daughter, Laurie, called today...as usual she had a Maggie story. Maggie is 4 years old with big brown eyes, curly hair and a smile that doesn't stop. It seems that Vivian, Maggie's 7 year old sister who also happens to be equally cute as pie, came running into the kitchen yelling, "Mom, Maggie is washing her face in the toilet!"
When Laurie and Vivian get to the bathroom... sure enough...there's Maggie ...standing in front of the toilet... face freshly washed...dripping washcloth in hand! She looks up at her mom and says, "I'm just rinsing out my washcloth!"
That's one of those stories that we'll tell to over and over again to Maggie as she grows up. It's one of those stories that will start with "remember when you were 4 years old?" Then we'll tell the story...chuckling the whole time... adding details real and made up... and say "Maggie, what were you thinking!" Maggie will probably tell us the story as she remembers it.
That story got me to thinking about shared family memories. I asked Laurie what was one of her happy childhood memories. I thought it might be a time when we went to Florida on vacation or something like that. Without hesitating even a minute, she said, "One day when we came home from school, you had made a bunch of cupcakes and they were sitting in the kitchen. I asked you who they were for and you said, 'They're just for you!' It just made me so happy!"
I almost cried when she told me that. It was such a little thing...a favorite memory...frozen in time...a tiny moment...so tiny I didn't even remember it. At first I thought, "Poor, Laurie, must have been cupcake deprived as a child for that memory to be so special. I should have made her more cupcakes!"
But then... a childhood memory of my own came to mind...of mama making fudge and letting me lick the pan with the big spoon. I can still remember the smell and taste of the dark chocolate fudge ...it's smooth texture sweet on my tongue. It was a little thing...a favorite memory...a tiny moment...frozen in time.
I called Amy, our younger daughter, and asked her about a favorite memory. She remembered the summer she was 3 years old when we moved to Texas. We had been traveling all day and stopped for the night at a motel. We had all taken baths and washed our hair and were snuggled into bed in our jammies...all fresh and clean. Chuck put the camera on the dresser and set it on automatic. He jumped in the bed with us just in time to create a Kodak moment of the 4 of us tired... but together...clean and giggly! It was such a little thing for a favorite memory...a tiny moment...frozen in time.
Chuck remembered his mom's pear salad. She always arranged it so lovingly on the salad plate...a leaf of lettuce with a pear half, topped with a dollop of mayonnaise and freshly grated cheddar cheese. Even as a child he loved the way all those tastes melded together in his mouth. It was such a little thing...a tiny moment...frozen in time.
Four favorite childhood memories. Not a single one involved money. Not a single one was anything that anyone else would have thought was that special. They all involved family. They all involved being in the moment together. They were all made from love! The best memories really are homemade!
What are some of your favorite childhood memories? Leave one of your own in the comment section!
Well, I remember being in the car with mama and singing the chewing gum song. I remember being with Daddy at Sears and laughing because we got locked in and couldn't find an open door.
I also remember swinging with Mamaw and a squirrel jumped over our heads.
None of these involved money either. I wonder what my kids will say. I think I need to make cupcakes. Love, Christy
Posted by: christy | January 22, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Isn't it funny how we remember such little things? I can see how a squirrel jumping over your head would sort of be etched in your mind! Thanks for sharing your stories!
Love,
Debbie
Posted by: Debbie Warnock | January 22, 2008 at 03:57 PM
I discovered your blog through The High Calling, and all I can say is wow--I love your heart! So whimsical and yet calling me into a world of Truth and beauty. They make me think of a place where dream and reality dance.
Can I be your publicist? ;)
Posted by: Heather Goodman | January 23, 2008 at 02:19 PM
Um, I meant, I love your art.
Although heart fits too. Art and heart--can't have one without the other.
Posted by: Heather Goodman | January 23, 2008 at 02:27 PM
Hi,Heather!
I've been painting all afternoon and sat down at my computer to rest a minute and saw your comments...you made my day! I'm so glad you took the time to say "hello." Come back often and wander through the photo albums and archives. And, yes, you can be my official publicist..tell all your friends where they can find some goodthoughts!
Have a great day!
Debbie
Posted by: Debbie Warnock | January 23, 2008 at 04:10 PM
I am still laughing over the toilet scene. Mostly because my 4 year old daughter has done the EXACT same thing (a year before I caught her drinking out of it too - ick).
I think most childhood memories come from the most simple things.
Came over via Heather
Posted by: Karmyn R | January 28, 2008 at 10:15 AM
What is it with kids and toilets? The drinking part is really scary! Nice to hear from you, Karmyn!
Posted by: Debbie Warnock | January 28, 2008 at 02:08 PM
I think one of my favorite childhood memories was opening a "Thumbelina" doll on christmas morning. I remember the smell of her. Many of my memories from childhood weren't so great so it kind of made me sad that mostly they came to mind instead of this one.
One of the memories I have a lot is that one night before bed I ate a hard boiled egg that was in the refrigerator. I think I was 9 or 10. My Mom always got up at around 5:30 in the morning to go to work (she was raising 4 kids and she was single) and I heard her rifling around in the fridge. My brother woke up and she asked him if he saw her hard boiled egg -- it was her lunch -- it was all the food we had and it was to last her throughout the day. I felt so bad laying in bed knowing I had eaten it.
I remember getting snatched by my Dad and being gone about 6 months before my Mom found us when I was also around 9 or 10. Back then there was no America's Most Wanted, no milk cartons, nothing like that. They just said the Dad took the kids.
I have so many memories like that. Really much more painful ones but guess what? I hardly ever think of them now. I don't use them as an excuse for anything in my life. I know God loves me and I know that I'm saved.
I have 3 beautiful daughters, 8 grandchildren, (one of them you know, sweet CJ George) and they are all the blessings any small town girl with distant not to good memories could ever want.
I know this is Goodthoughts and I'm honestly not trying to say anything but good. I love your stories Debbie and your art work. I love the bluebird hanging in my daughter Dawn's house.
Paula
Posted by: Paula Alibrandi | July 02, 2009 at 06:45 PM