Sometimes I wonder if my three children remember any happy times from the years when their father and I were married, and I wonder if I've failed my precious kiddos by not sharing very much with them about some of the good memories I have from those days. Yes, many of the memories I have from my marriage are painful ones, but there are some happy ones as well. Like a Colorado vacation when we took the kids fishing or when they played in an old rickety cabin that sat near a clear, gurgling creek. Like when we took them to the arcade and they stood on chairs to play pinball. Or when their dad would spread a blanket on the living room floor and eat watermelon with them ... that's one memory I will always remember ... the four of them sitting on the blanket, each kid with a fork and their dad with a knife, all four of them eating watermelon together. That was a summertime tradition, kiddos, in case you don't remember ... the three of you eating watermelon with your dad. I remember watching you guys as you shared the sweet fruit, and wishing that all of our times together could be as sweet as the watermelon you were shoveling into your mouths.
I haven't felt well for a couple of days ... another stupid ear infection ... and had I not had a couple of appointments that forced me to leave the house today, I would have spent most of my day in bed or on the couch. But ... I had to get out, and since I had little to no food in the house, I decided it would be a good idea to stop at the grocery store following my appointments. Please allow me to digress for a moment and offer up a couple of pieces of advice here: 1) it's never a good idea to go to the grocery store when all you've had to eat prior to said shopping (gag and double gag) excursion is one egg and half a glass of almond milk several hours earlier, and 2) it's never a good idea to go to the grocery store on a Saturday when you don't feel well because apparently everyone in the state of Kansas goes to the grocery store on Saturday. I'm not quite sure why ... perhaps because I was actually hungry for a change ... but today, I did something I haven't done in years, I bought a watermelon at the grocery store.
I've never been a huge fan of watermelon; I could always take it or leave it ... I don't dislike it, but it's not something I go nuts about either. And since watermelon is relatively high in natural sugar, I don't eat much of it now because I have diabetes. But today when I passed the big bins that held the dark green watermelons, I thought, "Oh, man ... watermelon sounds really good to me ... I'm getting one." I spent several minutes thumping first one melon and then another, finally selected one, finished my shopping and headed home. By the time I got home, I was feeling pretty cruddy and all I wanted to do was take my medication and crawl into bed for a good long nap ... which is exactly what I did. But when I woke up, I headed straight to the kitchen to slice into the watermelon. The minute I took a bite, something totally weird happened ... a bunch of watermelon eating memories from years gone by began flashing through my brain. I smiled as I ate the red fruit with my fingers and remembered ... my kiddos when they were little sitting on the living room floor ... my mom and dad on their back porch ... my sister-in-law by the pool in her back yard ... my neighbor in a lawn chair on her driveway.
As I smiled and ate and ate and smiled, a song began to play on the CD I had flipped on after my nap ... a song that made me think of all the people who are heroes to me ... people who give all-new meaning to the words of the song. And as I close with the lyrics ... to my heroes ... you know who you are ... thank you. Thank you so very, very much for being the wind beneath me and around me ... for helping to mend my broken wings ... for reminding me to cherish and treasure the wonderful little things. Little things like music and laughter and words ... and watermelon ... most definitely watermelon.
Wind Beneath My Wings
"It must have been cold there in my shadow,
to never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.
You always walked a step behind.
So I was the one with all the glory,
while you were the one with all the strength.
A beautiful face without a name for so long.
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.
Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.
It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you.
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be.
I could fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.
Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.
Oh, the wind beneath my wings.
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.
Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.
Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,
so high I almost touch the sky.
Thank you, thank you,
thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings."
I haven't felt well for a couple of days ... another stupid ear infection ... and had I not had a couple of appointments that forced me to leave the house today, I would have spent most of my day in bed or on the couch. But ... I had to get out, and since I had little to no food in the house, I decided it would be a good idea to stop at the grocery store following my appointments. Please allow me to digress for a moment and offer up a couple of pieces of advice here: 1) it's never a good idea to go to the grocery store when all you've had to eat prior to said shopping (gag and double gag) excursion is one egg and half a glass of almond milk several hours earlier, and 2) it's never a good idea to go to the grocery store on a Saturday when you don't feel well because apparently everyone in the state of Kansas goes to the grocery store on Saturday. I'm not quite sure why ... perhaps because I was actually hungry for a change ... but today, I did something I haven't done in years, I bought a watermelon at the grocery store.
I've never been a huge fan of watermelon; I could always take it or leave it ... I don't dislike it, but it's not something I go nuts about either. And since watermelon is relatively high in natural sugar, I don't eat much of it now because I have diabetes. But today when I passed the big bins that held the dark green watermelons, I thought, "Oh, man ... watermelon sounds really good to me ... I'm getting one." I spent several minutes thumping first one melon and then another, finally selected one, finished my shopping and headed home. By the time I got home, I was feeling pretty cruddy and all I wanted to do was take my medication and crawl into bed for a good long nap ... which is exactly what I did. But when I woke up, I headed straight to the kitchen to slice into the watermelon. The minute I took a bite, something totally weird happened ... a bunch of watermelon eating memories from years gone by began flashing through my brain. I smiled as I ate the red fruit with my fingers and remembered ... my kiddos when they were little sitting on the living room floor ... my mom and dad on their back porch ... my sister-in-law by the pool in her back yard ... my neighbor in a lawn chair on her driveway.
As I smiled and ate and ate and smiled, a song began to play on the CD I had flipped on after my nap ... a song that made me think of all the people who are heroes to me ... people who give all-new meaning to the words of the song. And as I close with the lyrics ... to my heroes ... you know who you are ... thank you. Thank you so very, very much for being the wind beneath me and around me ... for helping to mend my broken wings ... for reminding me to cherish and treasure the wonderful little things. Little things like music and laughter and words ... and watermelon ... most definitely watermelon.
Wind Beneath My Wings
"It must have been cold there in my shadow,
to never have sunlight on your face.
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.
You always walked a step behind.
So I was the one with all the glory,
while you were the one with all the strength.
A beautiful face without a name for so long.
A beautiful smile to hide the pain.
Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.
It might have appeared to go unnoticed,
but I've got it all here in my heart.
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.
I would be nothing without you.
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be.
I could fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.
Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.
Oh, the wind beneath my wings.
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.
Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.
Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,
so high I almost touch the sky.
Thank you, thank you,
thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings."
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