I Am From

by Leslie

I am from pony tails, bare feet and lightning bug jars. From Kool-Aid and midnight picnics during meteor showers.

I am from the four room house with a jolly blue bunny wearing a pink bow painted on the wall of the dining room that was made into my bedroom. I am from a tattered doll suitcase hidden under the bed, stuffed with toys to be forgotten and rediscovered again. From chalkboard comic strip drawings narrated through giggles by flashlight after dark.

I am from the Butternut tree, the yellow-green catkins and downy leaves. From daisychain necklaces and dandelion bouquets. I am from berry picking walks along railroad tracks and water from a natural spring.

I am from Sunday afternoons at Grandma’s house and homemade clothes. From a pastor, laborers and military men. I am from storytellers and dreamers.

From “I love you” and “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

I am from Sunday School, The Lord’s Prayer and “The Old Rugged Cross.” I’m from a riverside town in Pennsylvania and from Irish and Germans. From noodles made from scratch, fresh vegetables from our garden and my father’s famous “dodgers.”

From the fiery spirit of my red-haired grandmother who chased after a teacher with a chair for punching her son, from the stubbornness and the determination of the grandfather who refused to stop eating his oatmeal even when he was told that bugs had gotten into it.

I am from the photo albums I looked through on my great-grandmother’s lap with pages that crackled with every turn, and silent 8mm films of Thanksgiving and Christmas. From patchwork quilts, recipes scrawled on brittle paper and from delicate jewelry - worth millions in memories, but nothing in dollars - tucked carefully in a worn brown box and deep within my heart.

* Submitted to the writing contest sponsored by Owlhaven. Visit her to learn more.

Posted in Mommy's Stuff |

Comments

15 Cool Kids Came To Play

owlhaven on January 28, 2007 1:35 am
This is great!!

Mary
Karly on January 28, 2007 10:23 am
“Worth millions in memories, but nothing in dollars.” Thats beautiful. The whole post is beautiful.
Laurie on January 28, 2007 11:57 am
You should win! Seriously. I’m not saying that because you and Grimm are my two newest and favorite blogging friends. That was really, really terrific. The beauty of it is that, I’m much older than you and could relate to everything there. Lovely.
angie on January 28, 2007 2:22 pm
Beautiful post!!
kelley on January 28, 2007 3:58 pm
Beautifully evocative; a wonderful, nostalgic post. I love writing that achieves being almost sensory, as this certainly does.

I vote for you to win!
Daddy Forever on January 28, 2007 9:09 pm
Hey, this is great! A real joy to read. Love it and I hope you win.
Mommy the Maid on January 28, 2007 11:17 pm
Miss Turtle did a poem like this for school. Ip[osted it on my blog somewhere, but it really cracked me up.

Your I am version is beautiful.
Faith on January 28, 2007 11:40 pm
That is amazing and beautiful. I can feel the emotion just pouring off of it, I’d vote for you to win also. I just loved this.
Ruth on January 29, 2007 8:17 am
This is awesome. I love how doing these things captures the moments that we may take for granted. I did one a while back, I think it is in my sidebar. Loved yours!!
Toni on January 29, 2007 9:29 am
Well written! Good luck in the contest.

“worth millions in memories, but nothing in dollars - tucked carefully in a worn brown box and deep within my heart.”

That’s my favorite bit.
Stephanie on January 29, 2007 3:54 pm
What wonderful family memories. Very well written!

I did one too. http://stkappleto.blogspot.com/2007/01/i-am.html
Michelle on January 29, 2007 8:34 pm
I can picture a little girl with red ponytails–nicely written! Good luck.
Heidi on January 31, 2007 10:43 pm
I too LOVE you last sentence. Beautifully written.
PJ on February 1, 2007 12:04 am
That was worth a second read!
Rae on February 12, 2007 11:14 am
I love the description of your grandparents! They sound amazing…