Memories like the ones we share could make the saddest man smile. People remember memories usually when they are reminded of them. Memories bring out every emotion in people. Some memories make us cry, some make us angry, some make us depressed. I think those three emotions are the exact opposite of the emotions our memories bring.
On those nights where the time goes faster than I blink because I am so wide awake, I have to think of the calmest scenario and think about sleeping there. I place myself near the pool at the Treasure Island Inn, looking at the palm trees that are shading me from the sun, and I listen to the ocean in the background. That is my paradise. During those summer weeks so long ago when those fantasies were real, you were there. I love hotels so much now because of all the great memories that occurred at hotels. Of course you remember the family reunion that took place in Florida, when everyone came down to stay at the Treasure Island Inn, which is my greatest memory. I remember wanting to get up as soon as I woke up, just to share a nice breakfast with both of you.
Now, all of those memories, at the hotels, included my family. We have shared some awesome memories just you two and I. I stayed in Florida myself with you in the summer of 1999. That was a long time for me away from my biological family who I spend everyday with. But it was fun, and that was the important part.
That summer introduced me to the great Jay Leno. When Nona would come into the bedroom and see us watching Leno past Papa�s bedtime (haha), Papa would claim �Nobody in here but us chickens.� I remember all the greatest segments Papa and I watched on The Tonight Show, there were Headlines and the only days that were funnier were when Howie Mandell came on.
Watching Jay Leno was a traditional every night thing after watching a movie. This was carried into the next year when I flew down. I�ll never forget the ride home where I talked and talked about school, and field trips the middle school went on. I remember talking about a place called �Fun Tyme.� �How fun could a place be that can�t spell time right?� That plane ride was a lot of fun and I will definitely never forget it. How many kids have ridden a plane alone?
I have never been more comfortable around anybody like I was with the both of you. I remember the great trips to Publix with Nona and I was able to talk about anything. I have discussed books with very few people, but I remember Stephen King was the subject once when Nona took me to a library to get a book. I ended up not reading it, but I was distracted by all the fun around me. The TV�s in every room, I mean. Of course, I�m a good reader and I love to read a lot, but talking with Nona during the day and Papa at night when he came home was almost too much fun. If I wasn�t talking to Papa at night, we were looking at great �Calvin and Hobbes� comics. I�ll always remember the dinners Nona prepared during the day that we ate at night, too. So many memories are created when you are around. It seems as if my memory bank is turned on when I�m around you.
Speaking of shopping for books at a library, and shopping at Publix, those trips are always fun. My dad even likes shopping at Publix with you. The surroundings, being in Florida, the thought of freedom and being on vacation, they make the trips fun. I remember walking out of Publix when it was raining once and that made the smells of the world stronger. Florida has a great smell which can be smelled by Michiganders, when there is heavy rain.
Papa always took naps and still does. That is very healthy. I know that I don�t get enough sleep every night and I need to take naps but I still neglect every opportunity. Nona and I would talk while Papa was lying down. I remember the number one movie that Papa watched for most likely over a year: �Enemy of the State.� Other movies you and I liked were �Con Air� and �Gone in 60 Seconds.� Movies are a big part of my life. They are an escape from life�s troubles and difficulties. But, sadly, they never make any task faster, meaning I can�t really do homework and watch movies at the same time.
Think about taking naps and going to the grocery store. Not many people think that those could ever be any kind of fun. You could think of the most boring thing, like playing chess while on vacation, and it is so much fun when I am with you. I have a picture of Papa and me playing Chess in the Treasure Island Inn, which proves it. Pictures are worth a hundred words, but the memories are forever.
I also remember when we used to write to each other. It started with a 1st Grade writing assignment. Most people in my class wrote to Shaquille O�Neal or Arnold Schwarzenegger and I wrote to you. Needless to say, I was the only one in the class who got a letter back. School gets so busy nowadays though, which makes it difficult to write. Soon, I will be out of school. Two years from now I hope to be on my way out of the house and into the �real world.�
In the next two years, I will be making many memories. I hope to share some of them with you, like I have so many other memories. From watching movies to playing with unloaded guns to swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, there are many memories that I will never forget. You have many memories too. You have fifty years worth of memories. I hope to, one day, be where you are. Marriages these days don�t last more than 8 years, sadly. I wish to share my memories with another person, but I�m not expecting that to happen. Very few people in this world have that to be proud of. Very few people have been in love for that long. I�m not talking about father-son love, I am talking about the �head over heals,� �in-love� love. Somehow I feel a little proud. You have been with each other for 50 years and my parents have yet to live up to that. They still have quite a while, but I don�t have any doubts. So it�s in my blood, the love factor, but meanwhile I will be making memories. You are an inspiring couple. You are both great people. You have a large part in bringing me up, helping me grow up. You have helped me mature. I have adapted parts of Papa�s personality, and Nona�s caring attitude towards all people.
�Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.� ~From the television show The Wonder Years
| | Back to Top
Quote of the Day: