During a recent holiday dinner my daughter did one of those icebreaker questions, you know the kind that gets conversations going..."what was the happiest time of your life." I didn’t answer right away, as it takes me a while ponder such a serious question. Now, if you ask my favorite food you get an immediate response: cookies of course!!
But it got me thinking, reaching back into my memory bank, I came up with two winners of happiest times of my life. They both have very common themes – new beginnings.
In the late 70’s I lived in Hawaii, having moved there after high school to attend a Christian school to prepare me for service and ministry. I stayed in Hawaii for quite a few years, living on different islands, but my time in Lahaina was the happiest. We had a close-knit church community that was like family.
There are so many stories and adventures to be told, it would take a novel to retell them all. But as I look back, we were excited about the future, excited to change the world together by our love and compassion. We had our grand adventures; sleeping in the Haleakala observatory to see the sunrise, fruit hunting at Iao Needle and picnics on the beach. One adventure which makes me smile is the time Barb and I drove to the secret falls on our day off and the car broke down. A policeman came by and took us to the police station so we could get help. But the funniest part was us giggling away in the back seat, afraid we would be ticketed for hitchhiking!
On Monday nights we made dinner at a friend’s house with different people joining us each week. After dinner we watched Little House on the Prairie – I know, oh so corny! It was a time of new beginnings and dreaming of the future. The world was our oyster! We all took different paths, but happily I have stayed in contact with many through the years. These friendships enriched my life in ways I can’t express. We were so young and innocent, happy to share our friendship, faith and love with all we met.
My second winner of happiest times is when we moved to Georgia. Steve had a great job opportunity, so we packed up the family and drove cross-country with a few mishaps along the way. We lost Mike at a truck stop, and Steve got a concussion in a hotel pool near St. Louis. But we eventually arrived intact! Mike was starting first grade, and Gina was a little over a year old. This was a time of new beginnings.
We bought a beautiful house in a new neighborhood full of young families. We slept on the floor the first night in Cartersville. We were so excited we moved in before the furniture arrived! Steve’s work was close enough that he came home for lunch most days. And I got to spend so much time with the kids. Being there for Mike after school and time with Gina all day. We were our own little family unit, since relatives were far away. We created a special bond then…we were all we had. Us against the world.
There are many fond memories of playtime with the kids in the backyard, exploring our new state, and low key holidays. Back then the kids had as much fun with the boxes the toys came in as with the toys themselves. And who could forget the trike and barbie car races down the driveway. Sadly, Gina's front teeth ended up the loser in one of those races. Each 4th of July all the neighbors came to our front yard to view the fireworks. Great memories on the sports fields, at school events, holiday pageants, birthday parties, and Quarter midget racing around the south. We were young and ready to tackle the world together.
So much promise in new beginnings. Through the years I've had many new beginnings. Moving around the U.S., with new jobs, and all the friendships scattered around the country. I am extremely lucky to share these adventures with so many people. People have brought light and love into my world, many who shared the excitement of those new beginnings with me. That light you've shown will never diminish, and the warmth of shared laughter continues to brighten my world.
I encourage you to take that journey back to your happiest times and allow those memories to illuminate your day, basking in them like a warm hug.
And there is still time for new beginnings, more adventures to be shared and memories to be made. Who knows what excitement is right around the corner.
“Every day is a fresh beginning; Every morn is the world made new.”
– Sarah Chauncey Woolsey
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