RicelandMeadows

November 30, 2015

Today marks the last day of November. As I pause to think about this month gone by, I am reminded that “time marches on”. The month flew by and this year is quickly fading into a memory. My birthday is less than two weeks away and I will say goodbye to another year that way too.

I could pout for a few hours as I think of the time that slipped away, but I prefer to dwell instead, on the memories this year has made. I can string a lifetime of them together and not feel one bit sad. In fact, I feel a little bit proud for having made it this far!

I remember once, as a young boy, my cousin and I parachuting off our chicken coop. We made parachutes out of a big sheet of plastic and some baling twine. We tucked the plastic into our belts and climbed to the roof of the coop. I was oldest, so I went first.

I ran as fast as I could along the peak of the roof. I jumped as high as I could and yanked the chute out of my belt. I fell to the ground, into a thicket of brambles like a plastic covered rock. The air in my lungs left my body in one gush. I rolled on the hard ground in agony, trying to catch my breath. My cousin was doubled up in laughter and choked to finally ask if I was okay?

I told him that I was fine and to go ahead and try it, but I cautioned…”Jump higher!”. We did survive that day and several more doing some very stupid, yet brave things. So, it is no small feat when I say I celebrate my survival thus far.

Last week we got our first real snow. My grandchildren were here for a while running around the farm. They helped me and they played with the animals. They stayed until they got cold. It was time to go. I waved goodbye as I watched them head for home. Turning back to my chores, I saw their little footprints in the snow.

I paused a minute from my work to think about our children’s footprints, snow angels and snowmen from years gone by. I couldn’t help but smile. I went to get my camera to take a picture of the small boot prints. When I got back, the footprints along with the snow, were gone. They remain only in my memory.

So, I will salute this passing month. I will thank her for some unseasonably warm weather. I will commit to memory some treasured times shared with family and friends. I will take a minute to think of a few Novembers past and smile, for I don’t know where they went, but I sure won’t forget them!