In Remembrance

With a heavy heart and a tearful eye, I write this blog tonight.  Sometimes in this life, we follow the tracks of life that are laid in front of us, albeit pursuing a professional dream, raising a family, hitting the game winning shot, or simply just living life to the fullest.  While on this track of life, we do not pay attention to the passengers that got off the train or the towns / sites that you have past.  However, there are things that happen along the way that causes you to stop and reflect back to those passengers, memorable moments, or towns / sites.  It could be the demolishing of a historical gymnasium or building, moving to a new town or city, or the passing of a loved one.  This weekend, it was the latter.

This blog is dedicated to my neighbor...a woman who cared for me and my family more as a grandmother, although there was no direct blood relations.  Growing up alongside my brother, we were routinely in and out and around the house playing baseball, getting into mischief, or simply just hanging out.  She always kept an eye on us to make sure that we did not get too out of hand.  As we grew up going through elementary school, middle school, high school, and into college our accolades and endeavors always made her smile.  We were her babies.  For even my older and younger sisters and my nephew, she still cared for all as a grandmother.  She did this with anyone that she met.  I will miss the visits, the jellies (apple, plum, and strawberry), as well as the simple greeting.  I know that the void for her family can never be filled, but only with fond memories and the life lessons that she taught them along the way.  Just like my brother wrote to me when my father passed away, "[God] took [her] because [her] work has been done.  Be strong in faith and know God's love is everlasting."  As I said in the beginning, moments like this makes you stop and reflect back on the memories of the past and treasure them in order to continue moving onto the future along the tracks of life.  To the family of Mildred Spencer, my family and I send our condolences...she will truly be missed.  It will be hard not pulling into home knowing that she is not right across the yard.  And bruh, just remember, I am a phone call away.

The pictures of today's blog are probably not the best pictures that I have ever taken, but they were pictures that I took last month while walking in my neighbor's yard.  The first picture is of a tree in the back of the yard.  I took the picture in silhouette in order to capture the sunset.

The second picture is of a corner of a shed (actual shed in the last picture) that served as a storage area and also a garage.  I am not familiar with the history of it, but it served as the backstop when we were younger while playing baseball.

The third picture was of a clothes line that was in the backyard.  When I was younger, I remember the hanging bed sheets and clothes blowing with the spring breeze.  If the shed was the backstop, then the clothes line was first base.

The last picture has the shed, clothes line, and the tree.  Although the clothes line and the shed are gone, it is this image that I will remember when I pull into yard and reflect back while I am on this track...called MY LIFE.