Sliding by

One bright, sunny day in the spring of 1969 my Mother made the short pilgrimage to see Aunt Nora and our cousins. The sky was that sort of blue that almost sparkled. The fluffy white clouds drifted through the azure expanse with the soothing motions that spring brings to winter-hardened hearts. The air was cool with a hint of warmth. The soft earth felt spongy under our tennis shoes.

Our Dad was in Vietnam and my three younger brothers and I lived with Mom in Brown City, Michigan. Mom grew up in Brown City and all her local Aunts, Uncles and Cousins provided emotional support during a hard year.

Aunt Nora and Uncle Dwight were our source of milk. Aunt Nora would have given us the milk, but Mom insisted on paying for it. 

We boys loved the outings to Aunt Nora's house. Not only did our Aunt feed us fresh bread and butter, she always provided homemade jam.

So this glorious spring day promised fun and joy, as well as some delicious food.

One of us, probably Barry, discovered a slick patch of black mud next to the barn. I think he slipped in it. Shortly after, four young boys enjoyed a natural slip and slide. We ran to the edge of this long tract of mud and hit it at high speed, sliding from one end to the other.

In no time at all the four of us were covered in mud from head to toe.

Our cousins did not join us, but stood to the side laughing at our antics and shaking their heads.

Even now, more than fifty years later, I remember the joy of sliding along the side of that barn.

If you're a farmer you might realize this wasn't entirely mud.

We were sliding through cow crap.

Poor Mom covered the car seats with newspaper to get us home.

Barry and I developed ringworm sores and had to apply a nasty-smelling tar-like medicine to our skin for weeks.

We got over it. Sliding through ten feet of crap didn't destroy us. Sliding in crap didn't really make us stronger either (sorry, Nietzsche!).

Yet, I look back on that day with a sense of wonder and happiness. The bad parts fade. The good parts glow.

That's 2020 for you.

A year of sliding in crap. Run fast, slide long. Look for the good. Laugh when you can.

When all else fails, do not fail to be kind.

Eventually, even this will fade into a memory.

God bless you all, and thanks for reading.