It’s the middle of summer, some are still on vacation, and
some are beginning to think about school.
Water, however is still on
everyone’s mind! Who cares about the form, just bring water, water, water. We bathe, swim, splash in and drink it; when
it’s 110 all we want is water. The
beginning of summer also brings about family traditions, beginning new ones and
continuing old. When I was a kid my
family had 2 traditions. The 1st
was to go camping at the beach in our pop up trailer, so much fun! My brother and I also had a tradition that
included leaving Texas and coming to Arizona to visit our grandparents, we
usually stayed 4-6 weeks. This tradition
lasted till I was about 10, after that we stayed home and helped with our
younger siblings. For 8 years my brother
and I were my mother’s parents only grandchildren, so it goes without saying,
we were very spoiled! On Saturdays the
most favorite thing to do was deliver Avon books, as my grandmother was a top
notch Sales Rep. Every sat morning we would deliver to apartments walk up and
down streets hanging them on doors, this was always so much fun…we loved
it!!! Actually the only thing we loved
about it was getting McDonalds afterwards. Our #1 most favorite thing for to do
was swim in the backyard pool, our grandpa and uncle built my grandparents
house and it included a great swimming pool.
We loved it, mostly because it was free and we didn’t have to share it
with other children. We would play Marco
Polo, I would pretend to be a mermaid, and we took turns jumping off the diving
board all with grandpa sitting nearby with his feet in the water. Unless our uncle or aunt swam with us,
grandpa was always outside. We didn’t
see our Barkman grandparents during the summer much, not because we didn’t want
to or they didn’t want us, yet they lived in Texas as we did, so it was easier
to see them throughout the year. Mainly
Thanksgiving and some Christmas’
No matter what the tradition,
memories are being made. Pictures,
videos, scanning, uploading everything is happening to remember what was done
in summer, something to share with future.
Age does not begin to scare people
until sickness occurs or we get older. Our
20s and early 30s are filled with great adventures and many mistakes. As life goes on we become wiser, wisdom comes
in many ways. The year 2011 brought me 2 losses, my grandma
Dunham, my mother’s mom and my grandpa Barkman, my father’s dad. I don’t like losing people. I remember when 2 of my Great Grandparents
died I was probably about 10 when my
great grandmother died, every time we went to visit she had a toy drawer full
of things to keep my siblings and I busy while my parents visited. I remember she had a prosthetic knee and she
lived in a trailer, we always called her “grandma Dunham in the trailer” My great
grandpa Ramsey died when I was about 13, I remember he could wiggle his ears
and he had a white little poodle named Teddy, she was so cute. It didn’t affect me much when they died,
maybe because I didn’t spend much time with them, or because I was so young and
I knew they were both in Heaven. In 2001
I lost my grandpa Dunham to cancer. He
fought hard; he went through a remission and was able to go to my brother’s
wedding. When the cancer came back I
don’t think he fought as hard, I believe he just wanted to see Jesus. I have been more reflective since I lost my
two grandparents in 2011. I remember
growing up how my parents would always tell me, “Life goes by so fast!” In my 20s I would always here, “life goes by
so fast”! I never realized how much that
statement is true. Now at the age I am,
I am telling my nieces and nephews, “Life goes by so fast!” I’ve also added, enjoy every moment, learn
from your mistakes and watch people so you can learn from them. Always stay close to God, let Him guide you,
He will be there when life gets tough. That advice is never given all at once, because I know I would
receive much eye rolling!
My
grandmother showed the symptoms of Dementia, before she passed away, my uncle took
care of her. One day I spent some time
with them, it was like watching my uncle take care of a child, and there were
times where she didn’t remember who anyone was.
One day we went to the cemetery to visit her parents and her husband, my
grandpa. She put the flowers in her parents vase and began to sob, like a child
crying for her daddy, my uncle held her, I too began to cry it was so sad. My grandma
was a very strong woman and we always did what she asked. To see her in this condition made me sad. We then put flowers in her husband’s vase, my
grandpas. She had no reaction, my mother
later told me she didn't think grandma remembered being married. She knew she
had 4 kids, but did not remember her husband.
At
Christmas this past year I did much observing, I was then talking with my
cousin. We discussed how 20 years ago,
we were the children watching our parents and grandparents watching dinner
being made and waiting to open presents.
Now we are the adults and parents preparing dinner and telling the
children to wait, it’s almost time to open presents. In 20 more years another
generation will have passed. Time goes
by so fast, treasure every moment!
Mary the
mother of Jesus is a treasured woman and will be for the end of time, Aside from carrying our Lord and savior she
did something that I believe we all should do.
There were no cameras or smart phones in the day of Jesus, no way to
capture memories. Mary however treasured
up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19) Let’s all be
like Mary, not every event needs to be on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Now there is a generation who does not know
what it’s like to be walking around without a phone in their hands. Let’s teach them to treasure moments in their
hearts teach them that life indeed does go by so fast….Tomorrow, July 8, I will
be 39, and many more!!
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