Trains of Thoughts

My thoughts go off on tangents often. Sometimes I follow the known path and find myself in an unfamiliar place with a question of how I got here.

This morning was one of those random thought trains.

I was driving to work and I passed a woman picking up some trash in her front yard. She waved at the truck in front of me and I wondered if she knew them or if she waves at everyone. As I passed I looked behind and realized she didn’t wave at me.

I watched as the white haired woman bent down and picked up a random piece of trash in her ditch.

I don’t know why but I started thinking of my grandmother who passed away a few years ago. My grandfather and grandmother would wave at anyone who would honk at them as they sat under their shade tree in their front yard.

I thought of times when all my family would sit under the tree in the summer time and enjoy each other’s company. Playing yard games that are banned now with the sharp metal stakes, sitting up a card table and using whatever they would find to hold down the cards on a breezy day, or just sitting in the swing with a glass of sweet tea.

I miss that white haired woman.

As I drove away I thought of white hair and hair coloring.

I remember hearing a story that my dad bought my mom a box of hair coloring because he wanted her gray hairs gone for when we went on vacation to Disney World. I was five years old and I don’t remember the hair dye incident, but every once in a while I will hear about that box of hair dye.

I also don’t remember the trip that much. But I remember the Mickey Mouse ears and yellow Disney World t-shirt that I got there.

I continued to drive and considered myself incredibly blessed. Not because of the trip, but looking back and seeing the sacrifice my parents made for me. Taking a family of 5 to Disney World is the mid 1980s, wasn’t cheap, but they did it.

They didn’t have to buy souvenirs, but they did. They did all they could and made it a memorable vacation.

I just started to smile as I drove and recounted all the moments of blessings that I have too often taken for granted.

I got to the stoplight and wondered why I was thinking of my parents….it took me a few minutes to back track in my train of thoughts and I found myself looking at the white haired woman, picking up a piece of trash as she was waving at the truck in front of me.

Isn’t it strange how our minds work?

But isn’t it also amazing?

I think God wants to show us amazing things all the time, but we don’t take the time to see them. We run around thinking out next agenda is the center of the universe, when in reality, there are many other things more important.

So here’s to daydreaming. Following that thought process that could lead anywhere. Take the time to breathe and regale in the good memories you have. Take a moment and smile at the blessings you have taken for granted.

So, thank you mom and dad.

You will never know how much I appreciate you.

Who knows…maybe we can go to Disney World again…my treat this time.

Peace

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