by Bernadette A. Sahm

I remember you said, “Kentucky Fried Chicken always tastes better on the boat.”

I remember you as a toddler walking down the stairs with bed head hair created by undoing your braids.

I remember all the times you protected me and looked out for me.

I remember drunk nights that started in a bar and turned into a house dance party.

I remember first days on the job and those that welcomed me.

I remember walking alone along the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and thinking how grown up I felt.

I remember my first book launch party. My first car and so many other “firsts”

I remember the man who made me a mother.

I remember long coffee conversations with my dad.

I remember my grandmother pressing cotton sheets in the hotel she and my grandfather owned.

I remember my first banana seat bike and all the many neighborhood rides in Allentown, PA.

I remember Deep Purple as my first outdoor concert when I was just a teenager.

I remember my first visit to the ocean as it was Asbury Park, NJ.

I remember card games on the beach at Lake Hauto with family members.

I remember the day that my mother died and those who contacted me to let me know.

I remember where I was when 9/11 happened and where I was when the news that President Kennedy was shot and killed.

I remember grief when you died and more grief when another chose to leave me.

I remember my first date/kiss/intimate experience.

I remember my college roommate being openly and wildly gay.

I remember Nashville for the first visit and the most recent visit.

I remember all five of our Bichons; Happy, Happy Again, Chipper and Bailey and Buddy.

I remember the chlorine smells when the pool needed chemical balance.

I remember Hess’s Patio Restaurant and the high-end fashion shows that took place as we ate our lunch.

I remember the first grant I wrote for $100,000 that was approved and who was sitting in my office when that call came in.

I remember my favorite author who I watched on television for years before I met her and we became friends. RIP Susan White-Bowden.

I remember the first time I met Gary Allan, my all-time favorite Country Music Artist.

I remember flying to Texas alone as I finalized my husband’s business and personal property after his untimely death.

I remember Claude and my dad picking me up from underneath my arms and carrying me away to the first car after Randy was laid to rest.

I remember more good than bad, but I also know that all my memories are a testament to a full life worth living.

I remember …

Think about all those memories and who and what you remember and why?

Bernadette on Facebook and http://www.Facebook.com/bernadetteamoyer and Instagram @bernadetteamoyer @bernadettesahm

#memories #remember #history #life #well-lived