Summer, Lightning Bugs, and Family

Last weekend I went to Ohio to see my grandmother and aunt.  My mom and step dad were also there, making it a full house in my grandmothers 2 bedroom apartment.  It was my first visit to Ohio since she moved out of her house. 

My grandmother lived in the same house for over 50 years.  It was a house that was made of memories and love.  This house had a great basement, with my grandfather’s art work and jigsaw puzzles in one room, laundry room, and then a recreational room for the kids.  I loved watching my grandfather paint and him letting me “find” a piece to one of his jigsaw puzzles he spent hours completing.   When I close my eyes, I can still smell the dampness of the basement and see the sparkle in grandpa’s eyes.

My grandfather died when I was young, but we still gathered at the house over many summers.  The 7 kids (my brother, me, and 5 cousins) spent summers enjoying playing card games, Boggle, Rummy cube, and building forts in the large tree that once stood by the driveway.  During the summer nights, in that pocket of time after the sun had set but before the blackness of the night, the backyard would twinkle with lightning bugs (or fire flies).  This was high entertainment for my cousins and me.  We would run around the backyard and catch these innocent bugs in our hands.  We’d place them in a “home” which was whatever we had on hand, whether it was a mason jar, Tupperware, or anything with a lid.  Of course we’d make their home comfortable by poking holes in the lid and providing grass in the container.  I didn’t understand, at the time, why my mom would make us free the bugs before we went to bed.

I am fortunate to have come from a loving family that laughs a lot and contributed to my celebrated childhood.  I was sad when my grandmother had to sell her house 3 years ago to move into an assisted living development.  It was like saying goodbye to a piece of me.   

While sitting on my porch the last few nights, I have noticed a lot of lightning bugs around the trees in the parking lot.  I glow in the fond memories of humid summer nights with lightning bugs dancing to the sounds of crickets and laughter from the family.   

Comments

[floyd kelley]

the other day, i took michaelia to the park and we left soon when it was getting dark. as we were leaving, i noticed michaelia looking at the nature surrounding us and she had this look of contentment on her face. i asked her if she had fun and she answered, "daddy, i love nature."

i miss being a kid.

[Amy]

Thanks for sharing, Floyd. :)
Kids have a great way to remind us to appreciate the small, and important, things in life.