With great anticipation, I finally sat down on the couch last evening to watch the Cook Family Home Movies. I thought these visual memories were lost forever, but I found them recently in a drawer in my closet. My sister and I had had the old reel to reel family movies converted to VHS years ago as a gift for our parents. Since the VHS is now outdated and we have no way to play it, I took the VHS to Access Multimedia and had it converted again to DVD. Today, I gave my sister her copy.
I wanted to watch this lost, but now found, collection of memories because the first anniversary of my mom's passing was yesterday. I wanted to see her, my dad, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends from the past; people who were a part of my early childhood and who provided me with such wonderful memories.
Christmas mornings are some of my favorite memories captured on film. The bright camera lights were always an unwelcomed guest to those freshly opened eyes as we saundered into the living room to see what Santa had brought. It didn't take long though for our eyes to be wide open with sparkle as we scanned the array of gifts neatly displayed. I even got to see my dad in his Santa suit again. He played Santa for children every year and I just loved being Santa's daughter. And to this day, I still believe!
Every winter it snowed. Yes, in South Carolina! One year after a rare ice storm, dad pulled us across the front yard in a huge aluminum pan which he used to fry fish in. He drilled a hole in the front of the pan, threaded a ski rope through it, tied a sturdy knot, and the rest was pure, slap-your-granny fun! Although these are silent movies, you could almost hear our high pitched squeals as dad pulled us, slipping and sliding on the ice, so we could fly past him when he stopped.
At our home there were birthday parties, Easter pictures, baby showers, church luncheons and youth events, weekends at Lake Murray (our home away from home), water skiing, swimming, backyard swings, homemade ice cream, mountain trips, horseback rides, halloween costumes, and even a children's drama we put on at church.
I watched myself play the piano with such little fingers at the age of 3, and the organ on Christmas morning at the age of 10 or 11 as the family opened presents.
For an hour and a half I watched a lot of happy unfold in silence. Suprisingly, no tears were shed...just a lot of smiles and laughter. I was able to see my parents laugh again, play again, love again, and I can't wait to watch it again.
Thank you, Jesus, for this very precious gift. Thank You for the joy we experienced and what an impact that joy had on mine and my sister's lives. Loving You and loving people is what our parents did best. I know that our home is where I began learning how to love You and how to love people. Thank You for the silent, restored memories which remind me again of what great Christian parents we had, what a wonderful legacy they left us, and what a great, and mighty God we serve.
My Pleasure,
Melanie
I wanted to watch this lost, but now found, collection of memories because the first anniversary of my mom's passing was yesterday. I wanted to see her, my dad, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends from the past; people who were a part of my early childhood and who provided me with such wonderful memories.
Christmas mornings are some of my favorite memories captured on film. The bright camera lights were always an unwelcomed guest to those freshly opened eyes as we saundered into the living room to see what Santa had brought. It didn't take long though for our eyes to be wide open with sparkle as we scanned the array of gifts neatly displayed. I even got to see my dad in his Santa suit again. He played Santa for children every year and I just loved being Santa's daughter. And to this day, I still believe!
Every winter it snowed. Yes, in South Carolina! One year after a rare ice storm, dad pulled us across the front yard in a huge aluminum pan which he used to fry fish in. He drilled a hole in the front of the pan, threaded a ski rope through it, tied a sturdy knot, and the rest was pure, slap-your-granny fun! Although these are silent movies, you could almost hear our high pitched squeals as dad pulled us, slipping and sliding on the ice, so we could fly past him when he stopped.
At our home there were birthday parties, Easter pictures, baby showers, church luncheons and youth events, weekends at Lake Murray (our home away from home), water skiing, swimming, backyard swings, homemade ice cream, mountain trips, horseback rides, halloween costumes, and even a children's drama we put on at church.
I watched myself play the piano with such little fingers at the age of 3, and the organ on Christmas morning at the age of 10 or 11 as the family opened presents.
For an hour and a half I watched a lot of happy unfold in silence. Suprisingly, no tears were shed...just a lot of smiles and laughter. I was able to see my parents laugh again, play again, love again, and I can't wait to watch it again.
Silence...golden. Restored memories...priceless.
My Pleasure,
Melanie
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