MORNING MEMORIES

June 22, 2009

After delivering my youngest, now in his late 20's, to the train station at 6:00 a m, I took my coffee down to the river. The reflections were serene as the river came to life with waterfowl diving for their morning treats and early morning runners making their way around the lake before the promised heat of the day. I traveled at a leisurely pace down memory lane.

When the boys were young, we would often get up before the sun and head to the island for a picnic breakfast. My husband loved the serenity of the early morning before the tourist crowds arrived. Those times remain etched in my mind. Feet soaked from the morning dew, we would play 'Mouse and Eagle', our version of Hide and Seek. I often wondered if anyone saw us hiding, squeaking like little mice, or watched us rushing around the island with 'wings' flapping, making great whirring noises to imitate the sound of the bird of prey swooping down to grasp a tasty morsel. In those days, we really didn't care. We were just having fun with our boys in the early hours of the dawn, stimulating the imagination of future writers.

Once more today, I walked with dew drenched feet, capturing memories. The sound of family laughter echoed through the years. Places where once we hid were now overgrown, but still magical beneath the morning sun.
My Stratford is a place of memories, a jewel caught in time.