Another warm day with an abundance of sunshine brings shoppers out and about. After all the rain Baldwyn has been drenched with, it is great to have some heat to dry up the yards so we can mow. Excitement is in the air also, due to the fact there are only seventeen more days of school. Educators, staff and students will endure each day, most likely with a little anxiety, until the last bell rings. I remember the excitement I always felt when we were let out of school for summer break. Ahh, the innocence! No bills to pay, no schedule to adhere to and plenty of free time to do whatever my heart desired.
Three of my grandchildren spent Saturday night with us. Ledgin is a pre-teen and into playing computer games and game systems. He plays baseball in the spring and football in the winter. Like his mother, Amanda, he is very smart. Ahmed and Addie’s son, Kalil (we call him Baby Kalil) and daughter Annie were our other guests Saturday until Sunday afternoon. Annie is full of spirit. She loves animals and nature. She found a tiny roly poly bug on our front sidewalk. She and Baby Kalil were mesmerized by the creature’s ability to stretch out and crawl, then roll into a perfect circle when it feels danger. I love their innocence and joy in nature.
I went inside to the kitchen to make all of us a picnic dinner since the weather was so beautiful. As I chopped fresh vegetables and fruits, Kalil grilled steak on his George Foreman Grill. I made a gallon of “real southern” sweet tea. Annie and Kalil don’t get iced sweet tea at their home, so when they are at Meme’s, their parents allow them to have a few special treats.
The plates were filled and I was pouring tea into the plastic tumblers when suddenly I had to sneeze. I grabbed a tissue and barely made the sneeze cover up. A sweet, little voice said “Bless you!” It was Baby Kalil! A few minutes later, he asked for a tissue. I handed him one and he wiped his nose. As he handed the tissue back to me, he gave a little fake cough. Kalil and I rolled with laughter. It was the sweetest moment.
As a light breeze blew and the sun shone brightly, the children were playing on a quilt I’d spread out in the front yard. There were buckets of toys, dolls, stuffed animals and our lazy cat, Dusty available for them to play with. Away from the quilt, I had a sprinkler with a water hose attached. They had a great time running through the sparkling water. After warming up, they decided they needed to create masterpieces on the sidewalk with their sidewalk chalk. Flowers, rainbows, circles, stars and brilliantly designed scribbles created a mural.
Annie loves to dance. We brought out the radio and introduced her to some of our favorite 70s & 80s pop songs. The dancing began. Baby Kalil joined in and Annie swirled and tapped her way around him as the music moved her. It wasn’t long until I was coerced to dance along with them. I am sure the carloads of people driving by thought they were witnessing an old lady having horrible seizures. Trust me, it wasn’t a pretty sight! When you are a Meme, you have to join the children dancing, jumping in puddles, frolicking in the rain, writing on the sidewalks and all the other precious moments you can make memories with them.
As I sit here at my desk, I look out our front windows and watch shoppers walk past. It’s a good feeling to see everyone supporting local businesses. Soon, teachers and school staff will be able to shop during the daytime hours.
Small town friendliness, sunny days, children playing, bird chirping and green grass growing. It’s a wonderful life!
Brenda Daher is editor of The Baldwyn News.
