Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt—Preserve

We have just returned from a 4-night vacation with extended family at Kiptopeke State Park on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

This is the eighth year of this most delightful, special family time. For many of us it is the only time we get to see/visit with cousins and all the wonderful children. We work hard to preserve our family ties. Not all my children come, but those of us that do have precious memories to preserve for their lifetimes.

I am thankful beyond measure.

Preserving family ties ❤️

Remnants of Family Summer Fun

I grew up in the tourist industry. Memorial Day through Labor Day started and finished the busiest time of year for us. It was tourist season, summer time, school break, taking folks through the caverns, working in the campground, and best of all taking tourists on horseback trail rides through the mountains where we lived at Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. Could not get better than that for me.

I have used this reasoning to help understand my sadness at the end of summer and beginning of fall. The season is over, everyone has gone home, it will now be quiet I would think to myself. For years we rented the horses for our livery and they too had to leave. This only added to that empty feeling inside.

We sold the caverns way back in 1976. One would think I’d be over that feeling of summer being over. Guess that’s not going to happen. What I have learned is to enjoy the remnants of summer fun and family visits as I work to get things back in order after all the family visit fun.

As I was cleaning up after three weeks of great family times, I found myself taking photographs of all the evidence of the fun we enjoyed together. It made me smile and filled my heart with thankfulness.

Can you can see what I mean with these fun, silly photographs? All the evidence of family summer fun?

Loads of dirty laundry.
Beds that need remaking.
A little garden posy for guests.
Flyers from places we visited.
Little memories purchased.
Left over wine.
Photos of the visits.

I hope as this summer winds down you too have some remnants of family fun around your house as well. Good by summer, fare thee well and…

Happy Labor Day weekend to you, dear reader.

Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt—Rewind

We do not get a rewind on our days or how we chose to spend them once they are done. They fall into the annals of history at the end of every day. This little poem has put that thought into clear perspective for me. Perhaps it will for you too:

Yesterday is but a memory,

Tomorrow is only a vision.

But today well lived makes every yesterday a memory of happiness,

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

When I googled this poem to find the author, I found this:

Yesterday is but a dream,

Tomorrow but a vision.

But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day. —Indian Proverb

Both are very nice and thoughtful, don’t you think? I pray you seldom need to rewind your thoughts, actions, or words from this day before it passes into memory. There will surely be fewer times for a rewind with this daily thought in mind.