Valley of Shadows

Riddle Riddle Ree...What do I see?

My family and I were on a road trip.  The road we were traveling was very dark.  At times, I could barely see a few feet in front of us.  There was a fog that continue crept in and out of the road.  As I sat there the below words come into my mind recalling a period in my life were depression had began to over take me.  Luckily, my depression were caused by  external forces and once recognized I was able to heal.  Yes, there are still times these shadows come calling again.  But with the help of my loving husband and children, we can openly talk and ensure these shadows stay at bay.

Depression, mental illness, memory loss, aging can all lend to the Valley of the Shadows.  If it is yourself or a love one know that many people do emerge from the Valley of the Shadows. 

In the Valley of Shadows, lingers stories never told.

Memories that have fallen on the dark and eerie road.

There across the path the sound of footsteps echo from many years ago.

Through the trees lost spirits wander to and fro.

In the Valley of Shadows, listen closely and you will hear.

The laughter and the screams of those you fear.

You will hear in the wind the spirits whispering your name.

Be careful not to get caught in their dark and malcious game.

In the Valley of Shadows, you will surely loose your mind.

You start to wonder where you are and what will you find.

There the fog will cover you and trap your thoughts inside.

The spirits will search for you with no where to hide.

In the Valley of Shadows, lingers stories never told.

Riddle Riddle Ree 

I see something you don't see....

A Memory Caught in Time

The summer before 8th grade year, how perfect life seemed then. Our forever friends that we vowed never to let time or distance interrupt our friendships.  How we felt as if our little speck in the world was all that existed.   We created memories at the church picnic, sleep overs, pool parties and camping trips. We treated each day as an adventure, not realizing that this little world of ours would forever change. It would change as each person in our class would choose different high schools.  And still while others went to the same highschool, their interest would change and so would our friendships.

But for this moment in time, we had each other. 

 We had memories to hold on to and memories to create.

Riddle Riddle Ree....What Do You See?

Riddle, Riddle Ree...What Do I See?

Memories

You can hear the roar of the crowd, the cheers of the fans as the team executes their plays.  You see the nervous and proud parents on the edge of their seats as they watch their son or daughter.  You can see the joy of the win, the agony of defeat and overall school pride in the gym during any sporting event.  But what do you see when it is over?

Sitting in the gym one late night, I found this ball.  I placed it in the middle of the court and took a picture to capture what I believed to be the moment of how the gym is after the game.  But as I literally laid on the floor of the very quite gym with my eyes focused on the light reflecting off the wooden floor, I began to feel the past.  

I could feel the butterflies of the first day of freshman year when everything that the student once knew was gone, and how they could never imagine how much they would grow in the years to come.  

I could hear the sound of teenage girls awkwardly walking in high heels to their homecoming dance with great anticipations of what the evening held. 

I could hear the sound of a young teenage boy's heart pumping fast as he asked the girl he had been watching across the classroom all year to dance.  

I felt the pain of the day they called the entire school to the gym to announce the untimely death of a fellow classmate, I could feel the wet tears fall to the floor. And I could feel the student's hold onto each other so they wouldn't crumble.

I could feel the love when the odd kid out was made to feel welcome by the kindness of a fellow student.

I saw the joy as a parent placed on the junior student their senior ring symbolizing that the next year would be the year that their child became the leader of the school.

I could see the last day of senior year, the doors open wide as the excitement carried the senior class out of the gym and into the world.  I watched the gym doors hang open as if the spirit filled gym wasn't ready to give up the memories.  The light began to grow dimmer as the doors began to slowly close.  And then there in the last light, the last memory was let go.

Riddle Riddle Ree.. What Do you See?

Riddle Riddle Ree I See Something You Don't See....

Talent

He works tireless on a daily basis to compose culinary masterpieces that only his family will enjoy.  He continues to perfect his skills in anticipation that one day his dream will come true.  I continue to encourage and to look for avenues in which he can work on his dream 100%, but life continues to get in the way. Soon, very soon the rest of the world will be treated to his talent.

Riddle, Riddle Ree .. What Do You See?

Riddle Riddle Ree... What Do You See?

Road Trips

Do you have that one snack food that takes you to the same place time after time.  Funyuns, that salty onion snack, takes me to those hot summer road trips with my family.  My parents didn't have much money when we were growing up, but every year we took some type of road trip.  The road trips typically were in Kentucky to the local parks.  We would load up in the blue station wagon, I usually would ride in the very back with the luggage and my best friend, and cousin, Tracy.  The wind would blow through our long straight hair and cool us off from the hot summer day.  

During the trip, dad would stop for gas and let us get one special snack.  Going into the store, the cool air condition would get my attention first and then the ding of the bell on the door.  We would search the shelves until that bright yellow bag, the color of the sun, would catch my attention.  Grabbing the bag of Funyuns and going to the front of the store to get a Coke Cola out of the ice tub that cooled the little glass bottle.  Walking out of the county general store, there was usually a wall bottle opener to bottom the top off the Coke Cola.  Then the moment, when the salty onion taste of the Funyun was offset by the acid of the Coke Cola.  I would savor each bite, because I knew that it was only on this road trips that I would be treated to such indulgences.

Whenever I go on a road trip now, especially in the back roads of Kentucky, I find myself still grabbing that bag of Funyuns.  But now I try to get something a little less in calories to drink.

Riddle Riddle Ree...What do you see?