Nostalgia

It's that time of year, isn't it? The time for looking both ways...back to holidays past and forward to...well, just forward. While we'd like to think we know what's in our future, I don't believe we do. We can make all the plans we want but sometimes those plans don't materialize quite the way we envision. But this isn't a post about planning or the future so I'll leave all that for another time.

The past few days have seen a definite wave of nostalgia in our house. We've pored over old photo albums, laughed about things we haven't thought of in years and told stories we've heard a thousand times but never tire of hearing. And while the holidays usually bring memories, this year's wave is a far bigger one than most. Why the monster wave? It began with a meeting...

Last week we had one of those delightful accidental encounters that warms hearts. The woman we bumped into is someone we knew when she was a child. Knew very well, actually. In fact, we held her the day she was born. Does it get any better than that? I think not. While she has always had a special place in our hearts, and I'm sure this has happened to you, we lost touch over the years. Life gets busy, people get swept up by this and that, and even though people care about each other there are instances where circumstances separate them. Physically, at least. The heart? That's another story.

Anyhow, this wonderful young woman (who shall remain nameless for privacy reasons) is no longer a little girl. She is, in fact, expecting her own child in a few months. We are overjoyed for her, thankful she has found happiness and is experiencing all the wonderful things life can offer.

Our meeting was brief but an exchange of email addresses will hopefully bring us back in touch. (Fingers crossed!)

The funny thing, and my husband and I both agree about this, is that while we saw a woman standing before us there was still the delightful gleam in her eye that had been there when she was just a little thing. Lurking behind her poised exterior was the mischievous, laughing, loving, always-ready-for-adventure child we knew and loved. I pray those traits will be passed on to her baby. I suspect they will be.

Anyhow, we've spent hours smiling over old photos these past days. We've laughed. We've swallowed around lumps in our throats, thinking of those who aren't with us now. We've grinned, looking at hairstyles and fashions that now seem ridiculously silly.

And we've noticed that while we may basically feel the same as we did all those years ago, we've changed too. Not just gray hair, expanding waistlines or fashion changes but deeper shifts as well. We're the same...but we're different. Get my meaning? The person we met, her changes are obvious because she's gone from child to woman. Us? More subtle, I think.

So, a time for reflection. Laughter. Gratitude.

Yes, a definite nostalgic wave is warming this house. Which is good--because Mother Nature is showing that winter is nearly upon us. Me? I'll take the warm, comforting waters of reminiscence over cold, uncertain breezes any day.

What about you? Is the holiday week working its magic on you?