Do you ever have a moment where something prompts a memory? The older I get, the more that seems to happen to me. A visual, song on the radio, a clip from an old movie or television show. They all take me back to another time. Not always a pleasant memory, but a memory just the same.
Last Sunday we celebrated Easter. I was waiting to hear “Christ the Lord has Risen Today” or ” Lift High the Cross.” Neither was sung. Instead “The Old Rugged Cross” was sung. Instantly, images of my late father sitting in his recliner belting out that hymn flashed through my mind. It was bittersweet, but the memory warmed my heart.
A few days later I was out on the lake. Near the spot where I relaxed sat a very old, withered buckeye tree. I had once known the owner of that buckeye tree. It brought back two distinct memories.
The first was when I was about eight. There was a buckeye tree on the street where my grandma lived. We would climb that tree and use a stick or toss a rock to try to get the buckeyes to fall to the sidewalk. We’d crack them open and save them in a Hill’s Brother coffee can after we had shined them to a clear sheen.
The second memory was from this very tree. The owner of the tree used to tell my kids “If you put a buckeye in your pocket when you take a test at school, you will get a good grade.” He would follow that up with “It also will help if you study.”
My kids never heard the second part, but they would frequently carried a buckeye in their backpacks on test days. Two wonderful memories from simplier days long ago.
I find myself sitting on the swing out by lake much more often these days. It’s an escape and a location that allows me to contemplate about a variety of topics. Everyone needs a place like this. I suspect many of you do have a special spot to ponder your past or future.
Just the other day, the sun was setting fast, the breeze was slight and the lake had a particularly shimmer to it. I picked up my phone to check the forecast and Spotify came up. What do you imagine began playing? The Eagles, “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” Coincidence? I don’t think so. It was a memory and the timing was incredible. The song lyrics from 1972 were perfect for the moment.
I don’t second guess when memories like these pop into my head. I just try to relish and enjoy them. And wish they would happen more often.
Until next time…