Golden Memory

 Repost... June 16, 2010

It's funny how life flows in circles sometimes, how what your child is experiencing brings up memories of your similar experience. Sometimes I get to re-live great moments through my children besides making great current memories with my children. I love being a Mother. Their are certain stages in a child's life that are very tough on us but the rewards out weigh the bad. I have been fortunate to have wonderful boys. 

My son Doshie is camping with a group of friends. It is to celebrate one or more of the group of friends graduating. They rented a cabin and have spent the night both Friday and Saturday and should be on their way home now. I can't wait to hear of his experience. I thought of him a lot yesterday when most of our state was under a tornado watch, you know a typical Mother's concern. I didn't fear for him because I knew he would be fine. However it did bring back memories of a wonderful time I had. Memorial weekend 1983, my sophomore year. 

One of my dearest friends had just found out she would be moving to Mississippi soon. We had only met that year but there was this instant bond. It was as if she was my missing sister. She thought it would be great to go camping Memorial Weekend. It was just the two of us. Her parents had a membership at the camping facility but they couldn't come. In order for us to stay, we had to say her older sister would be staying. I remember packing with such excitement, getting away and camping for my first time. We set up the tent, I can't recall now if we had help or not, ahem...it's only been a few years now. I remember how great it felt having dinner outdoors, just the two of us... no adults. We went swimming. There were other teenagers there too and they had some sort of club house that we went to and hung out for awhile. Then it came time to sleep. I remember us chatting and chatting until we couldn't talk anymore. 

The air the next morning felt so fresh. That day I can't exactly remember if we had just finished swimming or if we were getting ready to go swimming but I do recall a rush of people coming into the bathroom and they were in a panic. De Ann and I just looked at one another trying to figure out what was going on. A tornado warning, one was spotted and heading our direction. The bathroom was one of the shelters for everyone to go in case of an emergency. I remember taking a peek outside and the sky seemed so dark. We could hear the wind blowing fiercely. After we got the all is clear notice, we rushed to our camp side only to find part of the tent had fallen and everything inside was soaking wet. We were unable to stay as planned. 

It was just a matter of a few weeks before she moved. I remember painting a sun rise and printing the poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost. This poem meant so much to us. 

Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leafs a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

We lost touch with one another. I thought of her often. In 2003, just a matter of months before I left my ex, I received a call from her. She had found me, in our conversation I found out she still had that painting and it was in her kitchen. It warmed my heart to know this. Unfortunately I left that home in such a hurry I didn't get her phone number, so I lost this golden friend once more. 

Thanks to Facebook we re-united as friends once more. This time I plan never to lose her again. I do hope my son Doshie is creating a golden memory this weekend. One he can reflect back on with fond memories just as I have done.