The Backyard

The backyard was one of my very favorite places growing up.  I made countless memories here, and so many physical details from this magical place are stamped into my childhood.     We had a swingset that was nestled near the end of the yard and sat directly under two large trees.  This was a place where I spent a lot of time.  Maybe it was just because I was so small, but my memory of this swingset in comparison to the one my children have now is so different.  It seemed so much larger, and I could spend hours crossing every inch of it.  Back and forth across the entire thing like I was a circus performer.  I loved the slide and all of the fun details that made it such a fun place to hang out.  Eventually the trampoline took it's place as my favorite part of the backyard.  It also sat under the same two large trees, and I would turn my favorite music on loud and jump as high as I could.  During rest breaks my dad and I would lay on it in the shade and find shapes in the clouds above us.  I remember the sun shining down and the warm breeze blowing across our faces.  Another favorite spot in the backyard was the small hill by the barn.  This was a great place to play in the winter when the snow piled high.  We could make the best slides on this hill and we would play until our snowsuits were soaked all the way through.

I have so many great memories from this exact place.  Now my kids are creating memories here.  Playing on the swingset, running around, catching frogs, and laughing a lot.  Although the scenery has changed slightly, they are experiencing the same thing I did in this yard when I was a young girl.  It's a place where they play and get along.  It's a place where their imagination takes over and runs rampant.  Last week I caught a glimpse of the backyard through their eyes.  I got a glimpse of the swingset and of them playing ball, and of the large trees that they use to play hide and seek.  The same trees that proudly stood tall in those same spots when I was young.  I'm grateful that they get to experience these things, and I'm grateful that on this day last week I was swept back in time to relive a few of my own experiences as I watched them.  This backyard holds so many secrets, and above all, this backyard is the keeper of so much happiness.