Reflections from Dorothy's Ridge: THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE

... ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. ...
Jer. 6:16a NKJV

I love vintage things, especially if they belonged to someone I loved. Consequently, it took me a while to let go of some items that belonged to my Mom and Dad.

But I knew it was needful. So I told myself, “That’s not Mama. That’s not Daddy. It’s just something they used or enjoyed.” I listened to my friend, Sandy, when she asked, “Can’t you touch it one more time and let it go?”

Yes, I could. And I did. Truth be told, I could probably part with a few more items still.

But this week, I identified three vintage treasures that I plan to hang onto because they make me smile as I remember the folks who loved me well.

I doubt that any of them would seem valuable to anyone but me.

I'd like to tell you why.

I couldn’t leave these millstones behind
when we sold the house on Pear Street.
They were a part of my happy history.

The millstones served as two of the steps leading from one level of our backyard to another. I have no idea how old they are, but I know Daddy salvaged them from some deserted mill site when I was a toddler. (That makes them OLD.)

Countless feet padded up and down those steps way back when there were kids in every house on our block.

Where someone else deemed them worn out, Daddy saw potential and rustic beauty.

There’s nothing particularly outstanding
about these stepping stones except
what they represent to me.

These three stepping stones came from the foundation of the family home where my mother was born.

Don't you love the gentle swish of a glider?

This faded glider was bright green when it sat on my Aunt Mary and Uncle Zack Calhoun’s side porch on Pearl Street in Little Rock. Who knows how many hours I snuggled between Mother and Aunt Mary, listening to them chat? I learned to keep secrets in the process.

After Aunt Mary passed away, it took up residence on my parents’ patio.

The Black Pearl lily grows tall
and requires a trellis. It blooms
around July 4th.

I brought a start of this Black Pearl lily from one of Daddy's flowerbeds. The blooms don't last long— just two or three weeks. But during that time, it lends regal elegance to the corner of our porch. (Let me know if you want a start.)

I think God looks at us in much the same way.

Where the world may see an aging person, he sees beauty and potential.

If we'll come home to him, he'll provide us a firm foundation in life.

He gives us people who will hold our confidences close and quiet opportunities to enjoy their company.

And doesn’t he have a wonderful way of surprising us with exquisite beauty just when we need it most?

What about you? Are there things from your childhood that you cherish?

I’d love to hear about what you hold dear.

“Behold, I make all things new.”

And He said to me, “Write, for
these words are true and faithful.”