69 of 144

Write now Article Tools

Skinned knees, banana seat bicycles with monkey bar handles and neighborhood forts are creatively reminiscent of my early childhood years. Many a day I ventured through the town discovering the many hidden treasures underneath porches, behind the alleys and in the corn fields. Ah, to be a child again, when a colored stone was securely placed in the basket of my bicycle for luck and a four leaf clover hidden between the pages of a book I'd never thought about reading. I remember crying when the goldfish I won at the local carnival died and when my first boyfriend kissed my sister behind the dugout. Where has the time gone?

The scent of lavender takes me back to grandma's house and the weeping willow tree reminds me of the day my uncle died. I never understood how little things from long ago can make such a giant impact on our lives decades later, but I do cherish the touch of yester years in my life today. It helps me stay centered and keeps me belonging. It's like when I see a newspaper laying on someone's driveway, I smell the fresh baked donuts of the town bakery along my old newspaper route years earlier. It's a part of me. The very part that helps keep me young. It's seeing a water tower and remembering that first kiss from the boy I fell in love with and smiling thanking God broken hearts can bring new love.

I look in my garage now and there sits a racing bike made of titanium and peddles that attach to my shoes. Where has the time gone? Ah, banana seat bicycles with monkey-bar handles and a lifetime of memories to keep the adventures alive. Those are childhood memories.

Learn more about this author, Toby Horton.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Reflections: Childhood memories?
We want to hear your view. Write now!