Remembering

The other day Cupcake Girl wanted to go to the “playground.” This is our neighbors yard and our previous neighbor’s swing set. The playground is a about 90 feet from our driveway. I stood there captivated as she skipped her way out there. All by herself, singing, humming and just being in her own little Cupcake world. She never looked back to see if I was tagging along. Not one glance. She had an agenda. Straight for the swing, belly down, a few running steps forward, then blastoff. But I was ready. I clicked with my iPhone. I captured a moment. A moment in time.

I watched her for a few minutes, captivated by her independence and also lost in my own memories. As I walked out to join her I peeked at the picture on the screen and smiled. That was a good moment. I quickly uploaded the picture to Instagram (you can follow me there @lulusloves or check me out here) and simply titled it Swinging.

That visual moment stayed with me throughout the day. Later that evening I took a look at the picture on the big screen. I sat there and stared. Remembering. Smiling. Flooded with memories. Things I hadn’t thought about in ages. Like that swing set I had some 40ish years ago. It was metal with 2 swings, a swinging teeter totter, metal slide and an awesome 4 person glider. I can see the exact spot it sat in our backyard. I loved that swing.

Then some 20ish years ago I remember another metal swing set. I have pictures somewhere. I remember watching from the sliding glass doors a cute little chubby-leg girl and her best friend next door, playing for hours on that swing set. Then a couple of years later a small one joining those two, trying to keep up, but not venturing far from my legs. She was attached. Like a leech sometimes. They loved that swing. I wonder if they remember?

As I stared at the picture I also thought about independence. For a few minutes Cupcake didn’t need or even ask me to go with her. She just went. Alone. She knew I was on the driveway and maybe that was enough. I forgot how early independence comes. She’s certainly more independent with her Mama than with me or is it just easier for Mamas to let it happen than Grandmamas. Maybe Grandmamas just hold on a little longer. We know how fast it goes. All we have to do is look at their Mamas. We remember and it goes fast.

With that independence comes confidence. You see, belly-swinging is a bit new to this girl. But she’s confident. She knows that with a few steps she can blast off to the moon. And she sees confidence in her own Mama. A Mama that has gone back to school. Started over with her education. And with that education comes homework and tests. The young one sees her Mama study. She already knows what homework is all about. And her Mama shows such confidence now. Confidence that she can and will do it. She will do it for herself, her little one and her sweet husband. She had that confidence when she was little too. She could belly-swing with the best of them! She probably still can!

Thank you Cupcake for helping me not only capture a moment, but remembering. Remembering some wonderful adventures from the past and for a moment, a tiny moment, what it was like to be a little girl.

Pooh and Piglet walked home thoughtfully together in the golden evening, and for a long time they were silent.
"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"
"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.
Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
"It's the same thing," he said.
Winnie the Pooh from Winnie the Pooh