Living the Highlife
“When I grow up and…” When we went shopping back in the day when our kids were young, if we only had a shortlist, or a one-item list, Old Fuzzy would go into the store and the rest of us would wait in the van.
While waiting in the van the kids would play games of sorts, and one of the games was, “When I grow up and am older…”
I thought this sounded interesting, so I decided to join in, “When I grow up and am older…”
A sudden chorus from the back cut me off, “Hey, you can’t play. You’re already grown up!”
Well, there you go. Right from the horses’ mouth. At forty years old (or slightly less) I could no longer have hopes and dreams. I wonder now that six of my children are caught up with me age-wise if that works?
Young Fuzzy asked one of his brothers ‘If you had a hundred thousand dollars, what would you do with your shop’? His brother said, ‘I’d build a new house.’
To me, that is extremely funny. It takes me back to the super-highway of thought to the time someone accused me of having children just to take care of us when we get old.
I had told this person kids were fun. I was thinking of the games and adventures we had played as they were growing up. Her comment kind of sideswiped me and left me dazed. A caveat here, I had not said they were always all fun, or which ones or…well, you get the gist.
Memory alert went to when I was around ten. My grandfather was a farmer and a farrier. During the summers and clement weather, he shod horses. It’s a summer afternoon and the lunch dishes are all done. One of the neighbor girls, Sherrie S, had walked over and we were all talking and laughing as we played Canasta.
After our party broke up and the visitor was gone, grandpa was inside. Smiling, he said, ‘you girls sounded like a gaggle of geese, or a flock of chickens, carrying on in here.’
I understood what he meant. Some families are all about fighting and strife, arguing and drama. What I find enjoyable is when our family comes together and we eat, talk, laugh, exchange ideas maybe play games, but everyone has the chance for a good experience.
I have found that in a large family with a family get-together it helps to pray. My prayer is for people to enjoy the time together, with no fighting or arguing amongst anyone.
And this was something grandpa understood as well. It wasn’t riches and fancy stuff that made the times good. It was love and laughter and the ‘peaceful easy feeling’ of friends and family.
“It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.”
(Proverbs 21:9-10 KJV)
