Overcome with Nostalgia

Life is a trip, ain't it?  The older I get, the more nostalgic I seem to become.  Somehow I spend time wishing I could "undo" some things in my life and "redo" them once again.

If I could have been a better wife before it was too late!  If only I had been a more patient and soft-spoken mother...  the kind I have come to admire.  If only...

Then things happen and I wake up and realize that the life I remember is no longer apt to be changed.  I must accept things as they are and as they were.  And that, my friend, is when the nostalgia enters and I long for those days once again... If I could only just to be there...

Example.  I'm doing the household dusting and as I polish the piano, I find the autograph of my young son that I had forgotten was there.  Suddenly I think of him, the man now, and as a young boy with a look that could melt my heart no matter what he did.  (No other man has had that power over me.)  I realize this... sit down on the floor and have a nice little cry as I think of how I must have scolded him so for this!  I realize what a gift it is to me right now, this day.

What then?  I pull out the family albums (yes, this is why I can't seem to get any housework done!) and re-live those memories all over in my mind and my heart.  I really did have a wonderful season of motherhood, didn't I?   Yes.  I have wonderful, wonderful children and I give all the credit to their father for being the strong one because certainly it wasn't ME who was strong!

I am grateful for the family albums I have.  Whatever it was that possessed me to make these things... I wish I had more of.  I was driven until I finished adding and journaling all the old photos.

Now I know why.  To get me through days like this.

If you look closely, you can see the precious autograph.  

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Juliet:

'Tis almost morning, I would have thee gone—

And yet no farther than a wan-ton's bird,

That lets it hop a little from his hand,

Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,

And with a silken thread plucks it back again,

So loving-jealous of his liberty.

Romeo:

I would I were thy bird.

Juliet:

Sweet, so would I,

Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,

That I shall say good night till it be morrow. 

Romeo And Juliet Act 2, scene 2, 176–185

Some people are lucky enough to get to see their family all the time.  Some people do not get to see their children frequently, as they have children that live all over the planet.  I think it may be hard when you see your family all the time;  I am the type of person that could really kill my family with much cherishing.  (Or should I call it micro-managing?)  

As Labor Day marks the end of the summer, this has really been a wonderfully, blessed one.  We've had lots of family gatherings this year!  As our family grows up and out, we don’t get to see each other very often and I am grateful we've had this time together.  As I traveled to these gatherings, I'd find myself abundantly remembering Psalm 23:5 "...My cup runneth over," and feeling so very blessed!  

This time together has been especially precious.  One of our own is on the move with his family to Germany to live there for a while.   Germany is a long way over the pond and even though it may seem just as far to Washington State (it is really only one-half the distance), Germany is nonetheless international.  

It was so hard to say goodbye to these Monkees knowing that the oldest one will be a TEENAGER when they return to the states… now that is just too sweet sorrow.

I am especially grateful to be able to keep in touch via modern technology that allows us to see each other on the telephone!  Hopefully they won't forget me during the time they are away.  I feel that we were just getting to know each other again this summer.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,

That I shall say good night till it be morrow. 

Shooting these Monkees with their Grammie one last time for a while.