I miss my childhood…
The weight of the navy hardcover books on my lap or standing side by side on my shelves that introduced me to “Little House in the Big Woods” , “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the magical world of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.” My love affair with words all wrapped up in the soft covers of “Anne of the Islands” and “Encyclopedia Brown”.
I miss my childhood…
When I would stand naked and completely uninhibited under an outdoor shower as the stream of water washed sand and sea water away. Before my breasts blossomed alongside my own self consciousness, making it impossible to see myself with anything but critical eyes.
I miss my childhood…
Gentle rapping at our screen door as our friend’s voices drifted through the screen door, inviting us to hurriedly pull on our shoes and scamper around our neighborhood, trying to stay out of Mr. Burke’s yard. Hide and seek, frozen witch and bike riding adventures were our best experiences with social networking.
I miss my childhood…
The feel of heavy leather soled shoes on my feet and a new backpack filled with Care Bear folders. Spiral notebooks ready for vocabulary lessons, cursive writing practice and plenty of room for the poems and stories swirling around inside my mind.
I miss my childhood…
Where I was sure of myself and my place in the world, when I believed what I was told and my faith was unshakable. Dreams were within reach of my own small hands and my life stood before me full of endless possibilities.
Today, I can relive my childhood in the smells of turkey and stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner, the din of my family talking over one another retelling our favorite holiday stories, our laughter mingling with the gentle clang of silverware on monogrammed china.
Today, I can wrap gifts in special paper for each person, just like my dad did, arranging them in separate piles and watching in awe as they unwrap the love I have tied in ribbons for them. My favorite time of the year because of the memories we have made, times I hold as tightly as a candy cane even now, brightly colored ornaments reflecting only the happiest times.
I am a sweet mixture of pink tutus and patent leather tap shoes, a recipe with equal parts Barbie dolls, Uno and my mom’s old 45 records that taught me all the words to Elvis and Dion. I am the collective memories of plaid uniform skirts, scholastic book sales and Saturday morning cartoon, sleepovers and sing-a-longs.
My life today is woven together like a colorful friendship bracelet from those small moments, the beautiful and treasured charms on the bracelet of my life.
So that as I hear the gentle jingle of them as they bump against one another and my fingers caress each silver piece, I can sigh, a smile lifting my lips and words escaping my lips, “I miss my childhood.”
This week’s RemembeRED prompt at Write on Edge
It sounds like you had a wonderful childhood.
This? Is so beautiful. So so beautiful. Love the analogy. It is perfect.
Love! this post. My old Anne of the Island trilogy is sitting on a bookshelf next to Abbey's bed, just waiting until the day she is ready to listen patiently to more than a few lines at a time
I really love how you tied your own old memories with what you do in the present. And I might totally steal your idea to do each person's gifts in a special paper 
xoxo
Oh I love this. So beautiful and …oddly calming
This is so wonderful. I love the things you took from your childhood and do in your adulthood, to be like your parents.
What a wonderful childhood you had, dear Kir! There's so much love and warmth–now I know where you got that quality from
It is my hope that I could provide my daughter with the kind of childhood you had, so that one day when she's all grown up, she too, could look at her own life bracelet and said, "I miss my childhood."
I like the charn bracelet memories. Your childhood sounds wonderful. thank you for sharing good memories.
This is lovely, Kir! Sentimental and deep. Sad and happy. Just perfect.
Love all these memories. If we had been neighbors I would have been one of the girls giggling at the screen door!
Wonderful analogy. The charm bracelet-we do collect memories like the charms and then wear them for all to see whether we know it or not.
All your memories were sooo vivid and brought back some of my own. I do miss my body image ignorance, Care Bear folders, and the way my mother wrapped Christmas presents. Good stuff. :-)
such a great story. I am envious of your childhood memories!
I say this every time I read one of your posts, but I don't know how else to say it. I. Love. Your. Writing!
Your symbolism is just amazing Kir! I LOVED this, The treasures on the charm bracelet of life! So beautiful, and your memories are so vivid!
I love that analogy of a friendship bracelet and life. You weave such a vivid and beautiful story, Kir!
I love the imagery of the friendship bracelet of your life, woven with all of your memories, what a wonderful sentence!! THAT is good writing right there! wow. One bit of concrit, in the part where you talked about the screen door you mentioned it twice in in the sentence and it just seemed a bit redundant. I love your memories here. Thank you for sharing them with us! xo
Love love LOVE this post. Now I am going to be waxing nostalgic at everything!
I love the symbolism, the poetic wording and the repeated threads! XO
Kir, this is just gorgeous. What a beautiful post.
I love the blending of the past and present. And the charm bracelet analogy…simply gorgeous.