Tuesday, July 6, 2010

What I'd Like to Put in a Mason Jar

We ended our 4th of July in my parents' backyard, snuggled together on beach towels and blankets, shooing away mosquitoes and watching the fireworks overhead. It was like something straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, right down to Buddy's container of fireflies twinkling beside us.

I wish it was possible to capture a moment in a mason jar.

We live in the area where I grew up. We go to mass in the Church where my high school graduation was held. I run into people I've known since I was six in the grocery store. Its nice having those connections to the past; reminders of who I was before I was a wife and a mother, before I realized crimping my hair was not remotely cool.


No day makes me appreciate this more than the 4th of July, when my parents' closest friends and their children join us to celebrate. We all see each other randomly throughout the year, at weddings or baby showers, but 4th of July is the one night that we are all together, laughing around the dinner table and reminiscing about vacations & other summer nights spent together. No doubt helped along by 2 glasses of my mom's party girl punch, I found myself feeling lightheaded w/nostalgia, yet at the same time anchored by a clear understanding of who I am, with the sense of security that comes from being surrounded by a group of people to whom I've belonged my whole life.

I can't help but hope that one day the boys will have a similar experience, that years from now we'll still watch fireworks with these same people, our children now grown and helping children of their own catch fireflies in a jar. But I realize this probably will not be the case. I realize that the boys' lives will probably take them to other places, that they may celebrate the 4th of July in Texas or Tallahassee or on the other side of an ocean.

That's why I wish I could bottle up this 4th of July. So that where ever the boys find themselves celebrating in the future, they could remember this moment. They could open their jars and breathe in the smell of suntan lotion and citronella candles, remembering what it was like to be young, snuggled on beach blankets as fireworks lit up the sky, in the company of people who loved them.

6 comments:

  1. Sounds like a perfect 4th! You can't bottle it up, but you can appreciate it...which you clearly do.

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  2. Sounds like you guys had agreat day!

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  3. Here from mel's round up - what an absolutely beautiful post about à wonderful thought, I wish you could bottle this :) Lots of Love from me!

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  4. here from the roundup and I second Circus Princess, this post is soooo beautiful I felt the tears prick my eye and settle in the back of my throat.

    "In the company of people who loved them" ..poetic and stunning.

    thank you for writing this post, it was a perfect moment captured.

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  5. I just read your Post Adoption Stories and SO appreciate your honesty and sharing. We got our if diagnosis last summer and were totally unable to think about any options beyond genetic children. Somehow I knew then that I needed to reserve the right to change my mind at any time for any reason. We've since been forced to look at other options, and adoption is one that still sits along the outer perimeter, but reading about your story and the stories of other is so helpful as I try to get my head around the reality of our path to parenthood.

    I've also been thinking about maybe inviting a few friend and family to my blog, but am conflicted. I want them to know what I am thinking about and to be able to follow my story, but I don't want to have to censor my thoughts as I write. This anonymous outlet has been so wonderful and really helped me get a lot of my thoughts out, without worrying about what I am saying. So your need to make a new blog is reassuring that I am making the right choice to keep my blog private.

    Thanks again for your honesty - I look forward to following your story!
    -foxy

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  6. Beautiful post about a wonderful evening. Can I get my family invited over to your parents place next year? ;)

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