When I was a child and we visited my grandparents my siblings, cousins, and I always spent time in the fields jumping hay bales. It was a silly thing to do but for whatever reason we enjoyed it. We never thought about the fact that could be snakes there or even rats as both of those creatures enjoy hiding within hay bales at times. Neither did I ever think about the fact that I was highly allergic and would end up with red whelps and wheezing just from being around them.
All we knew was that it was fun and although I could never jump the farthest I still tried as hard as I could. The last ones were usually the farthest apart and my legs were simple too short to make that jump. I tried every single time and every single time I missed I got back up and tried again. I will never forget the summer I finally made it to the last one without falling. I didn’t do it on my own (my older brother more or less threw me) but the thrill of it was amazing.
Life is a lot like those hay bales! Some of life’s events are so close you can simply step out onto the next while others take a lot of work and in the end you need a little help to make that jump. I was thinking about that as I drove out the my grandparents home this week. Both of them have passed away now (my Grandfather passed away in January) and my aunt lives there but I was just driving by for the nostalgia of it all. I have many happy memories driving down that lane and since I was heading past there anyway I thought why not.
As I drove past I saw the hay bales all lined up just like always and I couldn’t help wondering if I could still run and jump them way I had done in my youth. I didn’t try to do that as I am much more sensible now. It reminded though of that day I made it across with a little help and without thinking I told God I needed a little to finally make it across my current hay bale. After all I know it isn’t good for me and that I will have an “allergic reaction” but like the child I was I am still just as stubborn and maybe even a little more determined to make that final leap and not land on my butt but fell the firm ground beneath my feet.
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Don’t you wish you could be as carefree as you were when you were kid? There are times I wish I could just not worry about all the things adults have to worry about and just let loose. I had that carefree feeling for a few minutes when my daughter and I went to the park and played on the swings. I think it’s great that you are realizing you need to make that final “leap”. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. I hope you fly over that final hay bale and I know you will land firmly on your feet!
I do wish I could be that free again sometimes. I know it is okay to ask for help but it not always easy.
Wow this brings back lots of childhood memories, visiting my cousins and going to play in the hay field and yes jumping hay bales was so much fun.
It was fun and so simple. There was no technology, not really but we had a blast.
What a lovely memory and nice analogy. I grew up in an agricultural part of California and have so many memories of running around in apricot orchards and bean fields.
I bet that was wonderful! The smell of the apricots! It is one of my best memories, that and playing war with my siblings and cousins but that is a story for another time.
Reading this makes me once again see how much fun so many of us had years ago. Now so many kids are missing out on these wonderful memories because they seem to not have any imagination to think they just need to go outdoors and find things to do. Living in the country is a plus for kids.
Yes it is and I so agree. We had to go outside and use our imagination because we didn’t have all this technology. All we had was each other and the fun we could come up with.
What a great analogy we certainly all have our hay bales sometimes on a daily basis. I lost my grandmother two years ago she was the last grandparent I had.
Thank you, the analogy just sort of happened. My Grandfather was my last grandparent as well and I am sad to say we were no longer as close as we were when my father was alive.
Thank you for sharing. New blog reader here 🙂
I love your posts! Very inspiring and touching. We use to play in my grandmothers field out by the garden, baseball mostly when I was a child. She passed a while ago and the house is owned by someone else, the field is still there, as my dad still owns the lot, we recently went there to mow the grass, there is no more garden there of course, just grass, very tall grass. But it reminds me of the great times as a kid.
Sometimes we need to be reminder of our childhoods. As we grow up we forget the carefree lives we had and that sometimes we need to be that free again.