Every once in a while something will trigger a memory with senses so real – it really feels like I’m reliving it. I had one of those moments tonight.
Long after the kids were in bed, Steve and I were working on removing our popcorn ceiling and tearing out carpet. I was tired and dirty. I went outside to wash off the ladder caked with damp popcorn. As I stood outside running the water I noticed how large and beautiful the moon was shining. The air was clear and it wasn’t hot and it wasn’t cool. I could hear crickets chirping. And as I stood there, for a brief moment, I was taken back to our home in Milwaukee. The home we completely renovated, where I often stood outside washing something off long after most people had retired for the night.
Its been a long time since we have delved this deep into a renovation, perhaps that’s what triggered the thought. But it was so real and the details were so vivid. I was transported and standing in the back yard with the garden in the back corner with the light shining from the windows of the home. The air and sounds were as if it was a beautiful midwest summer night. I caught myself smiling as I thought of those evenings we used to enjoy with our small family in the backyard with luscious grass that we never had to water!
My memories drifted from one Milwaukee thought to another and before long I realized I was recalling memories but not feeling the senses of that memory. I was back in our Arizona backyard washing off the ladder.
Our brains have amazing capacity and I was grateful for the memory where I could so closely feel that time in Milwaukee even if it was for just a few minutes.
