Multiple boxes were stacked in every room of the little house. Furniture was being hauled outside and into a massive ALLIED truck parked in the street. Neighbors stood watching as muscle men picked up the heaviest as if they were shoeboxes. At eight months pregnant I kept trying to be helpful but, "Oh no ma'am, you mustn't lift anything yourself. That's what we're here for.." Endlessly kind.
It was 1981, and all at the same time, we had:
- joined the Air Force
- moved to a base in another state
- had our first baby
- released my 2nd record (yes - it really was on vinyl!)
Everything was changing and it was sad, and exciting, and terribly unique. Our mothers bravely stood waving us away, not knowing just how long it might be before we were together again. But into our tiny car we climbed, with the lovely Golden Retriever named Brandi perched in the back.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/expertinfantry/5416768787/
And thus began our life of travel. My husband's daily experience would be in fighter jets at the speed of sound, but my new life followed at a much slower pace: cuddling, feeding, and changing the tiny girl who held my heart.
It was a whole new world! There was an Officer Wives Club on every base, so of course our baby and I dove into it head first. I made friends of numerous other young moms. We walked down tree-lined streets pushing our strollers to the nearby pool, laying in the sun, talking just about nonstop. Those moms and I solved many of the problems of our world together, and it was all a complete blast.
These things went diligently into letters to my mother, and to my husband's mother. I tried to regale them with the tiny funny things every new mommy goes through. I asked them for advice ("but WHEN does a baby start sleeping through the night?!") and shared everything, good and bad alike, with them.
It was these letters that the two women have kept for me. My M-I-L presented me with a huge stack of them last year, and through them I have laughed and cried and remembered hilariously. Even the moods remained there within those pages. It is easy to remember, when you have this gift of letters - a gift given by those two wonderful women who would never throw anything like that away.
They were the Guardians of our memories.
Last week I decided to write a letter to each of our grandchildren, becoming strangely excited about going back to the 'Ancient'. I thought of what each might like to hear about, and even picked up a pen to do it! (excruciating..)
After a few days, the letters arrived and their mother took this photo of the result:
They were so excited! Even the 2 year old who so proudly opened his very own envelope. I encourage you, dear Readers, to try and write, once again. Sure, email and texts are so much quicker and more convenient - none of this annoying handwriting and addressing and folding and sticking and actually walking outside to post.
Less convenient - but the looks on those faces?
Priceless.
See you along the way!
the SconeLady
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/expertinfantry/5416768787/">expertinfantry</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>
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