April 19,2020
I think I was eight years old when my family went on vacation to New Mexico. Most of my memories of that trip come from old square photos with white borders that my mom put in an album. (Remember when we used to do that? Lol) But one very vivid memory from that trip is lodged into my brain forever. It plays like a slow motion movie, in color, every time I think about it. I’m pretty sure my parents must have saved their money all year for that vacation, although I’ve never thought about it until now. We stayed in an A-frame cabin in the mountains. There weren’t any other cabins very nearby. There was a river not too far from us with two bridges for crossing. One bridge was sturdy and made with heavy boards and had handrails made of rope. The other, which was shorter and located pretty near the first, was narrow and older and had nothing to hold on to when being crossed. My dad, my sister and I used the sturdy bridge. It was a little scary but we made it across. My mother (I’m sure she had good reason, but that’s a whole other story.) decided to cross on the other one. After all, she was a country girl used to these kind of contraptions. She could ride a horse, hoe a row, climb a tree... so why not? Why not, indeed. This is where my vivid memory picks up. My dad: “Annette, do not try to cross on that bridge.” My mom: “Oh, hush, Jim! I’ve done this lots of times!” And she did real well...until she got half way across. By the time she reached the middle of the river, her balanced back and forth steps had started a gentle swaying that was quickly becoming a ride at Astroworld. It plays in slo-mo in my head. She swayed right. She crouched down. She swayed left. Her arms began to flap. She swayed right. She screamed and stayed in place (like the coyote on the roadrunner cartoon going off a cliff) as the bridge went back to the left without her. She crashed into the (very cold) water below. Time stood still. Was this going to be a tragedy or a comedy? I was scared that my mom could be hurt. (And I was scared for my dad if he dared to laugh or say a word!). She was “madder than a wet hen”. But she must have been ok because she got back to the cabin way before we did. My next memory is seeing the clothesline with her clothes pinned on it, flapping in the breeze as we made it back to the cabin. This story, like most, had multiple view points. We probably all remember it differently. I’m sure my mom remembers it best. My sister may not remember it at all. All of life’s stories are like that. Right now, we are all living through a time that will be talked about and remembered for years to come. I hope I get to tell my great grandchildren about the “Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020". (Wow, really Grandmother? Is that why you hoard toilet paper in the back bedroom closet?) Yep, that will probably be a thing. I know I will remember this “pause in regular programming” as being full of stress and anxiety. I hope that I will also remember this as a time that I drew nearer to God and grew my faith. Will this be a tragedy or a comedy? Everyone will have different memories. But since God is the author of our story, it will most definitely be an epic story of love. Psalm 34:18 says: “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” And in Jeremiah 29:11 the Bible says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Stay close to Him. He will lead you through. He’s your handrail on the swinging bridge of life! Smile and be joyful!
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