Some things I Miss

There are so many pleasant things in this life we share that one can recall and some not so pleasant, but we tend to remember the good ones most.  But they no longer exist.  Did they just ‘wear-out’, or get used too much?  Maybe they just sort of ‘grew-up’, y’think? Well, I miss them.

I miss little kids looking to me as if I had all the answers to their questions.  Trouble is, they reach that stage where they believe they already have all the answers.

I miss when my kids came home from school all excited about things they learned and so willing to share those facts at the dinner table.  One that really stands out is that Octopus’ had eight ‘testicals’!  We learn so much from our kids, (thanks for that fact, Tammy:o).

I miss coming home from work, tired and exhausted but refreshed so many times by learning from my wife, ‘the kids are hiding and you have to find them’.  It was almost a daily practice and most of the hiding places were the same as yesterday, but I would have to sneak around anyway, looking here and there, saying, ‘‘No!  They’re not here, and No, they’re not there either!’’, then move on to one of the other favorite spots, and finally, about ready to give-up, get the socks scared off me by one of them jumping out from their ‘secret’ hiding place, with both hands raised and yelling, “Ahhh!” to scare me!

Then there was also the ‘game’ my kids used to love to play.  I had to lie flat on my back on the floor with both arms outstretched and continually ‘almost’ grab them as they ventured close to my groping hands, but only close enough that they could just barely escape from my grasp.  They called it playing ‘Beetle!  Guess I was the ‘beetle’.

I also miss the little kids jumping up onto my lap and snuggling against me all safe and secure, (especially when they were about to catch a scolding from Mom!  Safe-harbor, y’know?

I miss hearing a grandchild singing from the back seat of the car while safely strapped in their car-seat, during a long drive.  Especially one so young that they have invented some of their own words instead of the ‘correct’ ones… but they eventually grow-up and learn the correct words. I guess it had to happen.  Yeah, I miss that. I liked their words better.

I miss how one of them used to reply to a question by extending both hands out to her side, shrugging her little shoulders and firmly stating, “ I’un nope”, (I don’t know), then going on about her business, figuring we should be satisfied with that answer.(Right, Karen?)

I miss them being small enough to really look forward to a ride with me on my handicap scooter. A four or five block ‘trip’ used to be so looked forward to by them –(truth be known, by me too).. Next to a church, there was paved basket-ball, volley-ball court, marked off with huge circles and straight lines and we used to play ‘God and Devil’.  We drove over the lines of the circle which represented God… never ending, but the straight lines represented evil or the devil… which will come to an end.  (Moral: God is forever but the devil won’t last.)  Yeah, I miss that too.  (Do you, Taylor?)

I miss watching the little ones cooling-off on a hot summer day by running through the lawn sprinkler, or ‘diving’ into their little inflatable swimming pool, that was all of 6 or 8 inches deep.

I miss, back when I was in the workforce, keying-up on the CB radio from the car to the home base saying “Hi!  I’m on the way home!”, and hearing Pink Champagne’s welcome voice reply, “OK, be looking forward to seeing you.  Got supper on the stove – love ya”.

Those are just a few of the many things I miss.  There are so many more. Yes, kids grow-up, we all grow older, conditions change.  Nothing stays the same but that’s what makes this life so interesting.  All those things are certainly missed, but I’m thankful that they’ve evolved into pleasant memories that can be recalled, pondered upon and enjoyed, still today.

Yeah, I do miss those things but I am so blessed to have enjoyed them first-hand.  Thank you, Lord!

.