The Day

A bit more elaboration of my Facebook post for those who care.

Mission Street Park! I remember loving that dumb little minuscule park! There wasn't too much to it folks, just a couple slides, a jungle gym and a carousel wheel! I think there might even have been a sandbox. It was sandwiched between two houses, one of which I had been in because it had been a friend of my grandmother's. My Sis, Bro and I would get to go down there with Mom before our father got home. He actually didn't like us going out of the house so much and we sometimes would live in terror of that, but when Mom would sneak us out it always became the time of our lives! I remember that every time we went, we'd take in the full effect of the park! We went on everything, slides, jungle gyms, we'd run through the grass, and perhaps even tried to climb the trees!

My Mom would sit there on a bench table loving us from a distance. There were no cell phones way back then, so she would either bring a book or just watch us! But thats not all she did! Mom loved to be a kid too! In fact years later one of her online monikers would turn out to be 'Big Kid'. My Mom would run with us, play with us and even kick a ball back and forth with us! God, my Mom was great! She loved being with us so much! We were the delight in her day, the light to her darkness, I know this now! She loved us more than anything and indeed sacrificed so very much for us to be happy! By god, she did a great job and it really paid off! Any one of us could be in dire straits now if it weren't for her love and devotion to us!

But getting back to Mission St.

The particular memory that is in my head is the day we were visited by a someone at the park. His Name was Jerry. Jerry was a friend of my Mom's and I think my Mom knew he loved her ( though he would not be able to be with her for quite some time). He loved us kids too! Just like she did, unconditionally! It was such a great feeling! We loved when he would come around, it lifted our hearts as well as our Mom's! (Especially our Mom's!) I remember that he was alot like Mom and would play with us! He'd run with us, he'd kick ball with us and everything! Jerry was Mom's perfect match and that was only a big fat plus for us kids!!!

That particular day we wanted Jerry to spin us in the carousel wheel! We loved that stupid dilapidated wheel! He agreed with a to be expected hesitancy. He was thinking of our safety. But with three children goading him into it and the love of his life maybe even encouraging it, he caved and decided he would give us a spin Now we all knew Jerry was strong, so Tony, Ruth and myself braced tightly! Jerry grabbed a rung and we began our maddening churn, Around and around we went! One of us (probably me) yelled 'faster!', Tony had already had enough and was looking languid and Ruth was probably holding on for dear life! But in the same moment we were all LOVING IT!!! I am pretty sure I was about ready to lose my lunch as we spun faster and faster. Jerry had already stopped spinning us, but the momentum proved to be too much!!! One of us (Tony or myself I can't really remember) finally went hurdling into a tree!!! Another flew out and onto the ground! Jerry and my Mom went rushing to our rescue! We were OK. Perhaps just a little dustier and a bit more weary of carousels afterward! But we were OK. I remember how sorry and bad Jerry had felt, but we were not mad at him not in the least! We had gotten the ride of our life and had asked for it!

That was one of the best days of my life! I remember it as though it were yesterday! Even if it was my body that flung into the tree and slunk down it's side like a heavy sack of potatoes, I would so do it all over again! I miss those times even though they were shrouded in fears of other things that were happening in our lives. It was a beautiful day and there were oh so many more like this! I miss my Mom so very much and it pains my days at every turn, but thankfully we still have Jerry, and we know that he still loves us the very same as when he met us, unconditionally! We are among the luckiest kids on earth to have two such loving and wonderful Parents! I wouldn't trade them or the time we shared for an eternity in Heaven or anything in the world at all!