I was recently thinking about how fast time has been flying over the past few years, when I realized I am only six months away from being over the hill. That’s right, I will soon be 40 years old. I have started to reminisce a little more often, which makes me think of all the things I miss about the days of my youth.
As a kid on the farm, life seemed carefree. There were some days my sister, Ashley, and I were volun-told to help with weeding the garden or sorting the cows for pasture, most of our summer days were filled with adventures around the farm. One year, Ashley was extremely interested in dinosaurs and had received a book series as a gift on the subject. With the newfound knowledge we had possessed from these books, we went scouting for fossils with our squeaky wagon. And boy oh boy, did we ever find a treasure trove of bones. I’m still not sure who was the least impressed that the old beef bones were discovered and hauled to the house, our dad or the dogs.
We also loved visiting our grandmas, especially when the cousins were in town. I remember when my Grandma Audrey lived on 4th Avenue West, we were allowed to walk around the block while enjoying our choice of an orange creamsicle or a fudgsicle. But we were never allowed to cross the street, so we would literally circle the block a couple times with our sweet treats. I was not much older when I joined Brownies, meaning I had to spend the night at grandma’s house in town. As she prepared for my frequent sleepovers, she asked if I liked hot dogs, to which I replied yes. I mean, what kid does not like hot dogs? Well, I got a lifetime fill of hot dogs that year because that is what we ate for an entire school year every Monday night.
My other grandma, Edna, lived on her farm with my uncle who helped with putting the crops in and looking after the livestock. They had cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and ducks on the farm and there were times there was a hired man around helping. Ashley and I had to stay with Grandma Edna while our parents were gone, I was around eight to 10 years old. One morning I was not keen on going to school, thinking I could fool grandma into thinking I was sick. I gave what I thought was an Oscar winning performance but after raising four of her own children, grandma knew what I was up to. As soon as the bus left the yard, I thought I was in for a day of pampering and being waited on hand and foot, but that bubble burst real fast. Grandma told me to go change into my clothes, just because I was sick didn’t mean I couldn’t help around the farm. I regretted my choice of staying home.
I experienced loss at an early age, with both of my grandfathers passing away within a month of each other. I have small memories of them each, which I hold onto dearly, but I do realize how much I missed out on with them now that I am an adult. I tell my kids how lucky they are to have a grandfather to tell them stories. I have also lost friends over the years who will never see the age of 40 and miss their smiling faces or their infectious laughs.
As I continue to age, I know there is one part of my youth I will never miss…the awkward teenage years.
