Remember

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With youth comes impatience, the quest to be older than our years.
Family is taken for granted like good teeth and health.
Now, in my mid-40's, it is those who have come and gone, the moments had and
memories created that I long for again.
I miss the many family members who had a profound impact on my early years.
I miss my grandmother's peacefulness, great cooking and warmth.
I miss my uncle Frank's quirkiness, goofy phrases and Christmas tree farm.
I miss not having the chance to get to know my grandfather better,
for I was only 19 when he passed.
I miss holiday dinners with extended family, fruit salad and togetherness.
I miss The Plant, the huge doberman pincher and the little metal bridge over the
river-like drainage basin.
I miss endless bike rides, watching model airplanes fly overhead and effortlessly
land on the small grass runway back in the woods off the remote dirt road.
I miss hearing the paperboy crashing the morning's newspaper against our metal screen door.
I miss throwing the ball against the front porch steps, pretending I played for the Phillies
in an MLB game.
I miss the sound of crickets chirping at night and the flashing of lightning bugs in summertime.
I miss the cherry tree in my grandparent's back yard, standing on the pop-up camper roof to
reach them.
I miss spending countless hours thumbing through my baseball card collection on my
bedroom floor.
I miss playing football in the neighbor's yard.
I miss 4th of July in Lincoln Park, lake days and school classes under the trees.
I miss my grandfather's 7 a.m. pancakes on Sunday mornings.
I miss summertime sleepovers in the air conditioned living room at my grandparent's house.
I miss my basement hockey rink, the broken windows and listening to static-filled hockey
games on the radio.
I miss throwing the Frisbee to Nibbles.
I miss MTV's Friday Night Video Fights, the Saturday afternoon MLB Game of the Week, The Muppet Show and the Incredible Hulk.
In the end, the message to our younger selves is to enjoy your youth,
do not wish it away.
You spend your entire youth wishing to be older, then you spend your entire
adulthood wishing to be young again.

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