If I could pluck up the best parts of my life, wrap them in a package and hand them over to my children and grandchildren, this is what I would give:
The taste of fresh peach ice cream on a hot August day; hand churned, made with treeripened peaches and rich thick cream taken from the fresh milk of grass-fed cows.
The sight of a midnight sky before satellites, peaceful and majestic, where the blackest of black was adorned with the incandescent veil of the Milky Way and pin pricked by glittering stars as far as the eye could see.
The summery touch of a cotton dress or shirt, freshly starched and ironed.
The wonderful feel of relief after taking off scratchy woolen underwear.
The freedom of riding a bike pretty much anywhere without fear of being “snatched,” helmet less and gloriously windblown with handlebars and leg power as the only limitations.
The sweetness of ripe strawberries picked and eaten right in the patch.
The quiet and calm of Longfellow library where books and the written word were revered above all, the atmosphere was silent and everyone respected a librarian’s finger- to-lips “hush.”
The mournful midnight sound of train whistles as, throughout America, sleek passenger trains, filled with people, hurtled through the dark to faraway places like California or New York.
The sight of friendly train engineers who always waved.
The resounding thump of a truly ready-ripe watermelon, available only in late summer and not for long.
The spectacular sight of a powerful diesel locomotive engine pulling up to the station to drop off relatives or friends.
The splendor of huge horses, muscled and strong, working in the fields with their masters, pulling plows, hay wagons and threshing machines.
The noon whistle blast telling everyone to take a break, that it’s time for lunch.
Halloweens where costumes were as simple as ghosts (sheets with eye slits) and hobos (Dad’s old Sunday suit) and making a haunted house in the basement was as partyish as it got.
The understanding that to cherish life is the most important part of it.
Leave a Reply