Conjuring Memories
May 1, 2006
I have always found it interesting that certain smells or sounds can take me back to a place in time. I'm certain this must happen to everyone - our senses are tied to so completely to our experiences that they two are inseparable.
Tonight, I had comfort food for dinner. Grilled cheese sandwich (the grown-up variety of aged muenster on whole wheat, not Kraft singles on WonderBread) with vegetable soup. This always reminds me of spending afternoons at my Aunt Shirley's house when I was in Kindergarten.
My cousin and I were morning kids, and our siblings were still too young to be in school, yet. And for lunch everyday, we had Campbell's soup and open-faced grilled cheese sandwiches, and Hawaiian Punch.
Anyway, back to the nostalgia. In the rosy glow of happy afternoons traipsing around the neighborhood, I stumbled across a not-happy memory, which promptly cleared the nostalgic haze. My aunt was not nice to Leah. Not nice at all. And I do not know why.
Ouch.
And then I saw her there at Aunt Katy's funeral, and a feeling of "get thee away from me" came over me.
I don't quite remember all she did to me, but I know she was very mean.