Friday, March 20, 2009

Family Ties

Today is the first day of spring. Although we woke up to snow on the ground, spring is still in the air. I even saw some crocuses popping out of the ground. Soon it will be time for bare feet and playgrounds...

One spring, back when I was a little girl, just five years old, a new family moved into the house two doors down. They had three children, a girl about 7, a boy of 5, and a one year old baby girl. My earliest memories are the boy and I riding circles in the street on our tricycles. That summer Al and I picked flowers in the back yard for his "mummy", cooked mudpies in a spot of dirt, and shared a good many afternoons driving our tricycles through the back yard where he was confined to play. In the fall we started kindergarten and our mothers became close friends. They shared coffee in the afternoon while their little girls played together and I'm sure shared a good many secrets as women often do. There were pets in the house two doors down; first a shaggy dog named Laddie, and later a white German shepherd named Bianca and a black and brown collie named Ace of Spades. Al and I not only went to kindergarten together but first and second grades too. We shared the same bus stop and when the roll was called at school my name always followed his. His father had a wonderful voice and often played the organ and sang. I loved to listen. In June of 1972 my mother's friend died tragically and suddenly. It was a terribly sad day etched forever in my memory. Without their mother to care for them the family was packed up and moved to Canada where they lived with relatives for the next two years before returning to the neighborhood home. By then circumstances had changed somewhat and the children were discouraged from spending too much time at our house, but our friendships had been forged in steel and nothing ever stopped Angel, Al, or myself from being together. I have so many good memories; 4-square in the street, hide and go seek in the dark, campfires in our backyard, walks about town, and late night knocks on my bedroom window. In August of 1979 a cousin came to visit my friends and ended up staying indefinitely. Eventually he and I were married and the friends two doors down became family. As a child I'd never known her as "Aunt" Sharon, but I had known her, and my husband never did. Now sometimes when I look at my daughter or see her smile, I catch a little glimpse of Aunt Sharon in her lovely face, and once in a great while I have to smile myself when I notice my son reminding me a little bit of Al.

11 comments:

  1. I know Gramanita can also see the similarities, but I cannot. Maybe it's because I only have such few photos to go by. But she was very pretty, and such a sad story. My Aunt Sharon.

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  2. Thank you for sharing family stories, both happy and sad... Is that not what life is.

    BTW Martha, I just re-read your testimony on your side bar profile, and it's beautifully done... and I say AMEN and AMEN!!

    How I love our Dear Savior!!!

    Wanda

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  3. What a beautifully written story of this part of your life. It brought similar memories (minus the family connection) of neighborhood friends from my growing up years to mind.

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  4. This was very well written. Although I really only have 1 clear memory of Sharon, I hear she was a beautiful person on the inside as well as outside. I really wish that life wasn't so sad sometimes. We will see her in Heaven some day, that is the happy part.

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  5. wow - that's a great story. I was wondering where it was going! My mom has a cool/similar story. Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Let me guess, is it Dave that reminds you a little bit of Al?

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  7. Martha,
    That was an amazing read and beautifully done. I never knew what went on after my mom died. We were to never talk of her again as if it never happened. It's so beautiful for me to read how our family once lived. I have no memories of those days and what you wrote painted those memories in my head so well. I never knew Ace was originally called Ace of Spades. I only heard stories of Ace. Well done Martha and thank you for that. I love that you see similarities in your children. I guess it was gods plan to keep us together one way or another. If we "couldn't be neighbor/friends" he said, okay then they are now family!! Just my guess! :)

    Thank you....

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  8. I'm sure my mother and your aunt is thrilled that you did this for her and our families.

    You are an Angel.

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  9. Lisa, I guess if you want little details from years ago you ask someone who was a child at the time. No one has ever asked what we remembered; it was like we just knew it was not to be mentioned and so it wasn't. Angel and I never talked about it. Once, in an English class, Al and I exchanged knowing glances when a certain topic was mentioned, but that was all.

    I'm not really an angel just an overgrown kid with a good memory.

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  10. I am a little behind on my reading Martha, but that was a very touching story. It helps me to see where your loyalty and enduring love got it's start. Of course, from knowing your parents, I know they set a good example in those areas also.

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