13 years and going strong.....

No, not my kids or my marriage (it is 16 yrs. strong). I'm talking about a "member" of our family that has no legs, no arms, a happy smile and moon shaped eyes......

Mr. Pumpkin.

14 yrs. or so ago, when JoBea was around 1 yr. of age, I use to walk with her over to a business that sat just across the drive from our place of business. A lady from our Church worked over there and I had always wanted to get to know her better and found this as my opportunity to visit once in a while....or so I thought. When JoBea saw Margaret, there was an instant bond. Instead of the "once in a while" visit, we were having to visit daily, sometimes twice a day. Margaret had special colored pencils that she didn't let others use because they were the one's used to make her special Christmas cards, but JoBea would crawl up in Margaret's lap and color, mainly with the more used colored pencils. I can still see the 2 of them playing "ring a round the rosey" with JoBea laughing a deep belly laugh because Margaret was getting dizzy. I enjoyed seeing them together. Even tho Margaret is an adult, much older than JoBea, they had great times. The 2 of them remembered each other on birthdays & Christmas, with me letting JoBea pick out Margaret's gift. They treasured those gifts from each other. One day JoBea and I was around the house, not helping at the store, when the door bell rang. Margaret had come for a short visit. JoBea was thrilled that Margaret had come to her house! It was sometime before Halloween and Margaret had gotten Mr. Pumpkin as a Halloween happy for JoBea. Our first and only Halloween decoration. JoBea loved it so much she wasn't interested in buying any other decorations. Immediately we had to hang him on the picture window in the living room of our old home.....that was 13 yrs. ago. He has seen Halloween from that home, to our new home. Each year that's the only decoration the girls....yes, Madge even got involved with this special "member" after she came along....ask as to where it is. Each year I go into the attic and bring him down to join us for yet another Halloween. Today was no different. I pulled down the stairs , went up into the attic and retrieved not only a pumpkin light, a Halloween decoration, but a very fond memory for the girls & myself. I headed directly to the picture window and with Madge's supervision, dampened the suction cup hanger and stuck him on the window once again. I'm guessing Halloween just wouldn't be able to go on without him here.

I pray that our/your children will have lots of fond childhood memories to share and keep with them through life.

GOD BLESS.......