Tonight I showered. It was hot and sticky and wonderful. I choose to not have the vent fan on during this shower, and since Matt was home to watch the boys, I shut the door... The humid, suffocating steam brought back so many good and great memories of southern summers in Alabama. I loved my childhood.
*Now enter my world*
(my parent's backyard)
Afternoon rain storms, almost daily, with warm rain. Getting soaked to the bone in t-shirts and denim shorts, running around in the front yard chasing sisters and neighbors.
Playing in the drainage ditch full of rushing rain water. Building damns and canals in the ditch then seeing if the magnolia leaf boat can survive.
Getting into mom's kitchen cupboards and concocting potions to pour over and destroy the evil fire ant hills that are taking over the sidewalk and front yard.
Riding bikes with cousins around town and feeling like the world is at our finger tips. What will we discover on our Huffy 15 speeds today?!
Digging in the red clay dirt (and ruining clothes), and feeling like a master engineer when all that love and labour produces a perfect, 3 inches in diameter, sphere.
Daydreaming under the dogwood tree, daring one another to eat the clovers on the ground, and carving initials into the tree with the knife from dad's dresser. (Hopefully he won't notice it gone, or the blade's bad edge once returned.)
Jumping on the trampoline all night long! Seeing how many fire flies could be rounded up in a jar. Trying not to be too freaked about all the bug noises coming from the woods.
Tonight's shower was long and wonderful. Therapeutic even. It is hard being a "southerner," not living there, not knowing if I belong there anymore--or frankly where I belong. But I'll always have those memories, and my childhood will always be a wonderful southern one.
That's me, but what about you? Where are you from? What kind of wonderful summers did you have?
5 comments:
You need to write books......
I could't stop smiling while reading this......sweet, sweet memories.
awwwwww, I hate you right now! lol you're torturing me with your beautiful words.
P.S. I never turn the fan on when I shower.
Good times, sounds a bit like my summers in Oklahoma. I am missing the long hard rain showers and thunderstorms every spring. Did you hear about the Hall's reunion? We hope to see you guys there!
Shannon as I sat down to read your post one of those summer showers that you speak of came rolling in. I can hear the thunder rolling in the distance.
Your post brought back sweet memories of you and your sisters. It also brought back some memories of my own growing up here in the beautiful south. Once a southerner....always a southerner!
I am soaking up the beauty while I can b/c I don't know where we are going next, hopefully not leaving! By the way, a girl in relief society today was wearing flip flops and I thought of your wall post. Although, she has no kids...but like you said maybe it is the only thing that is bringing them comfort at that time.
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