Embracing Nostalgia

Can you remember it happening? You heard a certain song and were magically transported to a different time and place? Do you remember the way the house smelled when you came in from playing and dinner was almost ready? Maybe you have seen a place after a long time away and the memories wash over you like waves on a beach. . .

We all have those times. Those moments of deja vu. Those moments of memory that envelop you like a warm blanket on a frosty winter night? They happen to each of us. Each of us has our own unique triggers. I got nostalgic the other day. I was cleaning out the refrigerator....

My mom was a very good housekeeper. Once in a while there might be a pile of papers here or there. Once in a while, the dishes sat overnight. I don't remember doing much housework as a child, but my single mom, working full time, managed to keep the house neat. She economized. We never went hungry. She saved and used leftovers. On rare occasions, the refrigerator would get messy and things would get pushed to the back. On those occasions, things would get forgotten. I remember once hearing her call, "Sherry, come here!" I got up and ran in to the kitchen. She was on her knees in front of the fridge with a plastic container in her hands and a look of puzzlement on her face. That day, we established a new game: Guess what's under the green fuzz...

So, a couple of days ago while I was cleaning out the refrigerator, I found fuzz. I got the giggles as I remembered the times she would call out and we would try to guess the contents of those reused butter tubs. Sometimes, once it was dumped out, we could see the contents. Other times, the contents remained a mystery, never to be known...

If you are a mom and ever wonder how your children will remember you, wonder if you are doing a decent job or wonder if those precious blessings will have any good memories of their time in your home, remember this story. We didn't have a lot of Stuff when I was growing up, but I have a lot of memories. We didn't take a lot of "field trips," but I remember as a teenager the times of going to the store and mom picking out the line with the cutest checker or bag boy. I remember her trying to show me how to get more height out of my cheerleading jumps and her being in pain for the next three days! I remember her curling up on the couch with a good book and I attribute my love of reading to that memory. Moms, have faith in yourselves and your abilities. You can do it. My mom did and I think she did a pretty good job.

I love you, Mom.