Since I've taken up residence in Midland, visits to Toledo are always a treat. I always look forward to them because they seem to wipe my slate clean and rejuvenate my spirit. I can come back to Midland and start fresh because I feel good.
This last trip home was especially enjoyable. With only two days to spare I managed to spend time with all of those who mean the most to me. Although busy, my days were filled with fun, laughter, memories, AND lots of food ;) It becomes harder and harder to leave Toledo with every visit home.
There was one moment that especially stood out during my visit. When I'm at home I spend a lot of time with my neighbors and their 16 (or however many they're up to) kids. The youngest boy is probably around six and we call him Zay.
While sitting and watching some of the kids play cards, Zay came up and placed a big ball of crinkled paper towel in front of me. My face wrinkled up in confusion and I wondered why he was putting this ball of paper towel on the table and not in the garbage. He then told me to unwrap it, and when I did I found a pile of beautiful shells. Zay told me he got them from Myrtle Beach (which in reality is Luna Pier haha). I looked at the shells and couldn't figure out how they came from Lake Erie because they were so beautiful? So I looked over to Jackie (the mom) and asked her about their trip there. Then she looked at me and told me that she thought Zay had picked most of the shells for me...
At that point I was a bit baffled. I wanted to make sure that that was the case and that he wasn't going to be upset if I took them, so I went into his room and asked him about his trip to "Myrtle Beach". When I was done talking to him I asked him what I should do with the shells and where I should put them. He then looked at me and said "I PICKED THEM FOR YOU!" It was in that moment I just about cried.
It sounds silly to get so emotional over it, but this is the way I think of it. I have been away at school for two years. That means the last time I was consistently around his household he was four years old. Since then, I've come home for periods of time, but never more than a couple of weeks (not including last summer). He has no idea when to expect me coming home, and even when I am home, I try to split my time evenly between a handful of people so am in and out of their household throughout the visit. Kid's are crazy and carefree and don't usually remember people who aren't in their life on a regular basis, so I still have a hard time grasping the fact that he saw those shells and thought to pick them from me. It made my day and touched my heart.
It also made me think a little more. There have been times when I've thought of memories and inside jokes with old friends. I am then curious as to how they're doing. I usually mean to text them and ask or pull the whole "remember when..." But often times I get sidetracked or am busy. Or sometimes I find myself afraid they'll wonder "okay, why is Laura texting me? she hasn't talked to me in forever, what could she want?" But it was with Zay's gesture that I realized it's important to keep in touch with old friends. It's important to let people know we're thinking of them. His act of kindness brought a smile to my face, and I want to put that smile on other's faces as well. I may be busy, they may be busy, and who knows they may never respond, but at least they know I'm thinking of them. Things change and people change. So with many friends, you most likely won't remain as close as you once were. But as a friend, I am always interested in hearing where people are going and what they are doing with their lives. I know people with so many amazing stories, and even if I don't get to hear ALL of them, I am still blessed to hear their brief overview. I want nothing but the best for those I know. Even though I may not have seen or heard from them in awhile, there will always be place for them in my heart that is filled with love and those memories from the past.
It's amazing really, how a little boy's act of kindness can have a ripple effect. As for the pile of shells I have in my room, I am currently scheming up something to show him that I'm thinking of him too :)
