Rewind

Rewind By Julia Shaw At seventy-two my life has been so very fine, That I'd like to push a button and just rewind. I'd go back to my wedding day so exciting And marry again the man I found so inviting. He's been all things to me in every way, And I'm sure there's not much more I can say. I'd pick the same daughter and son once more. I'd love them and teach them just as before. Both have turned out so very successful in life, That rewinding those years would be such a delight. I'd love to play again with them in our pool. Our summers were great, free from work and school. Jumping and splashing like silly clowns, Yes, of course, I'd rewind all that, every sound. The times, as a family, we all went tubing, Down the French Broad River, that was ever so cooling. Over rock and rapids, we went merrily shouting, On our huge inner tubes, what a wonderful outing! We screamed and cried as we surged ahead, Pulled along by swift currents, where the river led. I'd love every trip to rewind once more, And redo it all, as in days of yore. Our daughter had a playhouse of her very own. It was the best playhouse that she ever had known. There were chairs and a table, with tea for two It was painted two shades of turquoise blue. She loved her playhouse with its open door It even had soft carpet upon the floor. An oven and frig made up the rest, The good times she had there were the very best. Her dad built it for her when she was three And she really wanted everyone to see, How great a dad she had for her very own, She felt like a Princes up on her throne. Her brother was also very busy working. By twelve he had a job that never caught him shirking. His best friend and he went out summers and after school They worked hard cutting grass but always tried to stay cool. After long hot days trimming hedges and grass They would hurry to our house after work at last. Into our pool, they'd jump with a bound. Ah.... Such a cooling, refreshing way to cool down! Our daughter also learned early to work. She did lots of babysitting without many perks. So attached to some of her charges was she When she had to leave them it was very sad indeed. At 19 our daughter didn't know what she wanted to do Her grandpa said a career in healthcare would be true People always get sick and their health they sometimes wreck So she considered her choices and decided on X-Ray Tech. She finished her studies and graduated from Spartanburg Tech. She's always had work looking inside people from toes to neck. For more than twenty years she has done a great deal, To help people get better from broken bones and heal. At 20 our son grew tired of trimming hedges and cutting grass. He was thinking of joining the army, but I was aghast. He said he would think and pray about his problems And he spent a week with his grandparents trying to solve them. To our great relief, he came home and told all, I've decided that in college I'll enroll this fall. He studied aerodynamics and learned to fly a plane. Now he has a B.S. Degree and he's making great gains. We have seven grandchildren that we truly adore But we wish we could be with them a lot more. They are so always so busy with work and school. But we hope they'll always remember the golden rule. And be respectful and always kind to others, And especially nice to their sister and brothers. My career in teaching was also great fun. Every school day I was up with the sun. Rushing to dress and be ready once more, To greet every student that came through my door. “I'm so glad you came to school today. Let's learn all we can and then we'll play.” Teaching first grade was really a blast, It seemed that the minutes flew too fast. Reading and writing, and then came math I was their leader down learning's path. Also a nurse, counselor, and friend, A teacher is all of these in the end. For eight years all my kids did a school play. I wrote out a script that clearly did say All the wonderful happenings in one fine book, About a magic green hat that hung high on a hook. I really wanted to record every scene, But video recorders weren't behind every screen. So now I truly want to rewind, To that wonderful, fairy tale, fanciful time. As I think back now on my 72 years, I could fill many pages with laughter and tears. But if I had my way, there's one thing I know, I'd rewind the good and bad times of life's flow.