Morning Glories

It's amazing how certain memories of our childhood are extremely vivid, while others are like smoke in the wind. A few of those memories just seem to pop up out of the blue from time to time.

A few years back, I was looking for something new in the garden center to plant in the yard, I came across a package of Morning Glory seeds. Immediately my mind raced back through time, to the backyard of our house where my Mom had a Morning Glory vine growing up the cloths line pole. I had to be around five or six and if you ask most young people today, they don't know what an outside clothes line is.

The flowering vine must have really made an impression on me as I remember it clearly today. I've tried several times to grow the vine in Tennessee and it either barely grew, or grew with only a flower or two. This year was the first time that it continued to bloom. Ever morning I look out the bathroom window to see how many flowers have bloomed today.

This simple flower brought floods of warmth  to my soul, as I remember those warm sunny mornings of my childhood. Those were the days where we would go outside and play. We knew all the kids in the neighborhood and we spent all day running, laughing and carefree. We spent a lot of time in the backyard as some of our best friends lived across the alley and it was like our backyards were connected. Every morning as I headed out the back door, I would see the beautiful blue blooms on the Morning Glory vine.

I was blessed to have a wonderful childhood and have so many memories of great times, birthday parties, playing in the park and those wonderful family vacations and I'm grateful for a simple blue flower that has brought back so many great memories of my youth.

The Birthday Card

Hidden in a box of old letters from my Mom, I came across a Birthday Card from my Grandparents.
We called them Nanny Maw and Daddy Paw. I could tell that it was old as both names were on the card. My Granddad passed away when I was still in Junior High.

As I saw their names written on the card in my Grandmothers hand writing, the memories flooded back from my childhood when my Grandparents were there in so many ways and a major part of my life growing up. Living in the same town, we were always there visiting as long as I can remember. They were there to babysit us so many times. So many holidays and birthdays, happy days and sad days were all spent with them.

My Grandmother and I always had a special place in each others hearts. I was the one she always counted on to help her in the yard or the house. I was the only one who she'd let trim the tree branches or paint the fence. She drove me crazy a few times as she would start us on one project, then on to another and another before any of them were finished, but that was Nanny Maw.

When my Grandfather died, I spent every night with her for about a year, helping her and being there for her. Then the time came that she was doing OK and I was getting old enough, I needed a change.

One day after I had graduated from college, I was called to jury duty and when I returned home, I had a phone message from my mom that she was really sick. I stayed to the end of the trial that day, then went to see her in the hospital. It was rough as she was so sick, to the point of hallucinating, but she had moments when she knew I was there and we could share our special love for each other. I was the last to see her before she passed.

So many memories have flooded my head and my heart with so many emotions. My Grandparents were special and their stories and struggles could fill up several chapters in a book. But for now, I have the memories and I feel blessed that I had the honor of calling them My Daddy Paw and Nanny Maw.

Stuff

We seem to collect so much Stuff through the years. Newspapers, cards, cloths, toys and so much more, all boxed up because of their memories and their history, their sentimental value and maybe their worth.

Stumbling on a box of old toys from my childhood, I remembered when kids actually played. Not video games or cell phone apps, but with simple toys and big imaginations. With little metal trucks and cars and fire engines, new adventures would take place everyday.

We look at the toys now, paint, faded with age and use, tires, worn but still intact. Some collect these miniature vehicles, refurbishing them with new coats of pain and new wheels to collect and sell for profit. Others keep them boxed up and hidden away to bring out from time to time to remember, to relive that simpler time of life.

I think it's time I took them out and displayed them for a while. To remember that little boy named Wynn, who spent hours moving mountains, putting out fires and fighting the enemy. Who created his own little world......... and played........

December 1953

Times were lean and my parents were having to spend a lot of time away from each other because of my Dads job.
It's odd reading his words from a time before I came along. I'm learning to appreciate the struggles my parents went through to give us a good life. These are just snippets of letters but I didn't know my Dad wrote much, so I'm already learning a lot. I hope as I post here, it will give new light of days gone by and the families that lived them.

From My Dad

Dear Honey,
I just got back from the show and supper. It's 10:30 now and about time for bed. I can't got to bed early, just can't sleep.

Well my expenses were more for this month than my paycheck, that means it will be pretty bad here. I'm counting my money before I get it again.

I bet you will be running pretty low before I get any to send you. I'm sorry it always has to be that way at a time like this.

I just have this one piece of paper left, so just in case my next letter don't get there in time, I hope you have a very happy new year and I love you very much.

I guess we won't have much fun on new years night but can just have us a new year when we get together again.
Be careful and by for now.

With lots of love,
M

P.S.  I hope you more happiness next year than you've had this year. Tell the kids goodnight for me and tell them I miss them a lot.

While my Dad was traveling a lot with his job in the oil business, my Mom was home with two kids and I was on the way. Daddy always had such a caring heart. I'm learning how hard this must have been for him, away from his family and struggling to make it.

We all go through our struggles in life. As I relive his life, I see where his incredible character came from, his strength and yet his tenderness.  He was a good man, a caring father and loving husband. 

Boxes Of Memories

Since my parents passing, I've contemplated over and over as to what to do with their boxes of memories. Army uniforms and wedding dresses, photos and letters, so many special memories from a time when life was simpler in ways and struggles were a little bit harder as a small town family lived and survived in the 1950's and 1960's.

I thought I would be able to read these letters and toss them a side, but soon realized how much life and history was written in them. My parents always provided us with a good life, but reading from their pages, I realize it wasn't always that easy.

I hope you can see the entries as Whispers From The Past and maybe find a warm place in your heart, remembering your families past as well.......