Dusting can be such a tedious task sometimes.
I don't know about you, but dusting is about as exciting as having a throat culture. I mean, who really enjoys getting dust up a nose, nearly cracking a talbone falling on the floor because of the slippery polish residue that spilled, and chasing the illustrious dust bunnies that multiply exponentially?
I also haven't appreciated dusting off my aging memory.
Come on . . . just because I've turned 40 (a couple of times!) shouldn't automatically mean I now have the memory of an elephant, that I need someone else to hold reading materials because I refuse to get bifocals yet, and that I'm more hormonal than when I was 16!
Anyway, back to the dusting of the memory.
This weekend, my 13-year old son broke his right arm. Considering his high energy level, his bone breakage was long overdue.
Some dear woman, who we still don't know, drove him home from the park where he was snowboarding. When I removed his coat, we saw the relatively zig-zagged nature of his arm. Not quite the stuff that freak shows are made of, but it was unattractive, to say the least.
That's where the aging memory of an elephant came into play.
Thirty years ago, I remember learning some basic first aid in school. Of course, I also remember how fun it was to practice on the boys.
Anyway, upon seeing my son's arm shaped like an overgrown zucchini, I realized I needed a SPLINT.
Hmm . . . what to use, what to use.
I had just received a box of nutritional supplements. So, with grace, determination and fortitude, I sliced the box open and cut off the top flaps. I ran to my linen closet to find my trusted old ace bandage (which was 30 years old as well and had been used on many a sprained ankle. . . MINE!).
With supplies in hand, I ran to my son's rescue. Considering he's 13, he truly began to wonder once again if his mother had fallen off the deep end.
I proudly used my cardboard box splint and my stained ace bandage to wrap his arm. But, I knew something was missing.
A SLING!!
Once again, I jogged around my house, dusting off those old memory brain cells.
Once again, I entered into my linen closet and pulled out a twin size sheet. A bit overkill, but, my son deserved the best, right?!?!?
I folded the sheet a number of times, finally achieving a somewhat decent looking triangle.
Again, I approached my son. This time, his look more closely matched that of . . . "Mom, do you have ANY IDEA what you are going? I sure hope no one sees me like this."
Always up to a good challenge, I held the rather mangled triangle up to his body. Let's see . . . triangle point at the elbow and the straight line going up and down on his chest. I somehow remembered how to tie the two ends together around his neck. Being the tidy person I am (except, don't ever visit my home unexpectedly), I even tucked in the triangle part on the edge of the elbow.
Even the emergency room staff was impressed. Aaaaahh, the benefits of doing a little dusting off of the old memory.
Memories are truly precious gifts that should always be cherished. As I have begun to once again help my son get dressed and help him eat, I remember the cherished memories of when he was a baby.
As Christmas approaches, and particularly in light of the tragedy of 9-11, take some time out to dust off your memory . . . remember past Christmases that brought delight to your eyes, remember the hope of Christmas through the baby who was born, remember the turning points that changed the direction of your life.
May you remember blessed memories of Christmases past, may you take time to create new memories this Christmas present, and may you have many more Christmas futures to cherish.
I now enjoy creating new memories with my mom, including reading her a bedtime story over the phone, the same story she read to me every night when I was young. She still remembered some of the words and said them with me.
Treasure the memories old and new. And, let's continue to create new memories for those following behind us to cherish when we're gone. More on that another time . . . .
©2015 Regifted Grace Ministry LLC
