This is one of the best presents I’ve ever been given and it’s not even my birthday! But it sure feels like it; well, a little bit. I just got this picture today from a very special great aunt (and I mean she is amazing!) and my second cousin. Don’t laugh! In my family we know our cousins down to our 7th and sometimes 8th cousins!
It’s a picture that I remember my mom talking about on occasion, although I’ve only seen it once or twice in my life. It must have been a very special day for her because she always remembered it. It’s of her cousin Tim (my 2nd cousin that made the copy of the pic) on his 4th birthday and my mom, who was 6 years old at the time. The date was February 21st, 1957. You can just barely see the four candles on the cake!
My mom and Tim were close growing up and always had funny stories to tell about each other. Times were tough then, but looking at the picture you really wouldn’t think it. They looked so perfectly happy!
It was taken at Aunt Thelma’s house (my amazing great-aunt) whose property butts up to the most beautiful land in all the world; my grandfather’s property. It is the last of the original 1000 acres plus of land settled by the Goodnights when they arrived in North Carolina. If you go through the woods a few acres dodging cows, cross the wooden bridge that my grandfather and his father built that’s over a trickling stream, you wind up in a green meadow that goes uphill. The meadow is wide open with trees all around the edges and pretty little flowers bloom all over it. This is where I wanted to build my house when I was all grown up. Then you cross the barbed wire fence and you’re in my great-aunt Thelma’s back yard. I love family in backyard!
I’ve gotten a little giggle over the clothing they’re wearing in the picture. It’s February and my mom is wearing shorts and Tim is bundled up. This doesn’t add up because my mom always said she was cold natured! She’s in pigtails (which she hated) and he’s wearing a fringed cowboy coat and a print around the bottom of his pants. Aren’t they so cute?
This picture is a precious thing to me. So many emotions are attached to it: Happiness to have it, longing to see my mom, ache because I miss her, sadness because she’s no longer here, gratefulness towards Aunt Thelma and Tim, and patience because I will see her again.
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