Life! It’s all about perspective! That’s why I write this column. Here’s a perfect example.
When I logged into my Facebook account today (1/30), I saw a note saying that because of the brutal weather, the people at the Tri City Times had gotten a later-than-usual start; and papers were going to be late hitting the newsstands. I had already seen on TV that mail delivery wouldn’t be happening today or tomorrow for the same reason.
I also saw this note from my oldest niece (in Iowa): “I just checked the weather app on my phone and see that we are up to
-19!! Whoo-hoo!! But that takes me back to our wedding day in 1985 when it was -19 and -80 wind chill. All I had to do was get to the church and from the church to our hotel. It didn’t matter to us how cold it was—we were just ready to be married. But to the 240 or so guests that showed up and the people who hauled stuff in and out for us and worked behind the scenes, thank you. And I’m sorry. I feel so loved!!”
Oh…and also…in case it looked last week like all the memories from the past were positive, let me share one that came to mind this week. Here’s the context. I had made a pot of soup during that awful cold spell. To round it out and turn it into a proper but quick, no-fuss meal, I had put two of those frozen dinner rolls into a little foil bread pan and slid the pan into the preheated oven. Unfortunately, just as quickly, that light little pan tipped and those two rolls slid right out of the pan and on to the oven floor. I managed to retrieve them, but of course a bit of residue remained and soon emitted a stench only slightly less offensive than the one which my memory pulled up from once years ago.
As you’ve probably figured out, I encouraged my kids to use their imaginations. One day, the girls used checkers for cookies, putting them on a real cookie sheet. What I didn’t know (or remember) is that they put them in the real oven and then forgot about them. The next time I preheated the oven for something, you know, of course, what happened. For weeks, maybe months, the smell of melting plastic assaulted my nostrils every time I preheated the oven. No amount of oven cleaning would take it completely away. And no amount of air freshener could cover it up. I guess eventually it went away, because I don’t smell it anymore. I just had to let you know that, just like with anything else, that “You have to treasure
the moments to treasure the memories” thing
isn’t an absolute. There will be an occasional
fail. Life!
Email Willene at willenetanis@aol.com.
Willene Tanis is a longtime resident of the Imlay City area and an active volunteer in the community. Many readers find her 'Perspectives' column to universal and uplifting
