You know how memories of your childhood can transport you back in time? Well, at age 66 I time travel a lot as I recall my memories. And, can you believe how many memories one can have in 66 years?! I mean, five a day for one year is 1,825 if it’s not leap year! So, we’re talking thousands of memories by the time you are my age.
That said, I can pick out the precious memories. The ones that are so etched into who I am, that they are with me always.
One is aloe. Yes, aloe. Daddy grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and, as an aside, if you’ve never been there you need to add it to your bucket list. Sugar white sand and the prettiest aqua-blue water you will ever see. With beautiful beaches comes beautiful and HOT sun; and with HOT sun reflecting off WHITE sand comes major sun burn if one is not careful – and sometimes, even if one is careful.
And so begins my aloe memory…
Visiting Granny, Daddy’s mom, was one of my favorite things to do as a child, and also as an adult. I learned how a grandmother could scratch the backs of two grandkids at the same time, and oh, did that feel good! I learned how a Christian lady lives. I learned how to be a stepmother from watching her, because she became my Daddy’s mother after his mother died, and she loved him as if he were her own. I learned how to keep my political views to myself, and know that God’s love for us isn’t dependent on our political views – actually, it’s not dependent on anything we do, but on what He has done. But that’s a story for another blog… Back to my aloe memory. I also learned it’s ALOE, not alloy – Granny got a kick out of my pronunciation, just sayin’.
I’ve lost count of the times I got sunburned in Pensacola, but each time all it took was just a cutting from Granny’s aloe plant to soothe my pain, to stop the burning. Recently, I bought an aloe plant for our house. The picture above is our plant. It makes me think of Granny, and it encourages me to be more like her, and remember all the many life lessons I learned from her.
It also still has the practical use of soothing burns. Last night cooking supper, I accidentally brushed my palm against the pan I was using. Y’all know how badly that hurts, right? I tried cold water, then ice – and neither was helping. All of a sudden I remembered the aloe plant. I cut a small piece off (you can see the stubby end in the picture). I thought of Granny as I rubbed it on my burned hand. Immediately the pain stopped. Today there isn’t even a burn mark on my hand!
I also thought of our Heavenly Father, because He is like aloe to my soul. When I’m hurting, when I’m scared, when I’m confused – regardless of my circumstances, I can call on my Lord Who soothes my soul, calms my fears, and holds me in His loving arms. He is always there for us. Always.
See you next time…
I can hear your writer’s voice in this memory! What a good idea to publish this way! Love you!
Thank you, Cindy. Love you, too, and hope to see you soon!