I REMEMBER

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

I REMEMBER EARMUFFS. When I was a kid I lived in Oklahoma and it was cold in the winter—very cold. When you went outside your nose and ears got cold. Some kids wore scarves across their faces but I never did. But I did wear earmuffs. I remember having a pair of red ones that I especially liked.

I REMEMBER “CHRISTMAS” CANDY. I call it “Christmas” candy because that was about the only time we saw it. There were small pieces of hard candy that came in many colors. There was “ribbon” candy that was also hard and came in various colors. It was called “ribbon” candy because it looked like ribbon—not stretched out straight but folded and wavey. You can still buy this candy today but I don’t see it very often and it is usually a little on the expensive side.

I REMEMBER SEARCHING FOR JUST THE RIGHT CHRISTMAS TREE. We never, ever just went out and bought the first tree we saw. We looked at every tree on every lot in town and there were a lot of lots.

I REMEMBER RAIN, SLEET AND ICE. Do I ever! If you were walking you had to be extremely careful because the ice on the ground was very slick and you could go down hard. If you were driving you had to be careful because just the slightest pull on the steering wheel might send you sliding or spinning out of control.

I REMEMBER “MAMA.” My mother has been gone for sixty years but I still miss her. She was always there for me. When my brothers and sisters all married and left home, my mother and I were always together. We were poor but I didn’t know it at the time. I don’t remember ever wanting for anything. God knew what he was doing when he gave us mothers.

I REMEMBER MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. I had four brothers and two sisters. I am the “baby” of the family. I am the only one left. They have all gone on. Most of the time I don’t think about being the only one left. I just try to get on with living my life. But there are those days when I do think about it and those days are hard to take.

I REMEMBER HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BLESSED MY LIFE. Wow! When I get to thinking about all the people who have and are blessing my life it “blows my mind.” Wow! I don’t forget a single one. I truly am blessed.