Hot Fudge Sundaes & Duct Tape

I woke up this morning with a random desire to look in the mirror and find my hair had magically turned back to the color it's been the majority of my life... my (nearly) natural shade of blonde. Which is strange, because I've really been loving my little adventure over to the "Dark Side" for the last few months. So at first I chalked up this strange longing for my go to Goldilocks look to the change in weather; a weekend spent in the warm sunshine that has me wishing for summer so badly I can almost taste the Mister Softee. But as the day has gone on, I've realized that there are quite a few other things from summers past that I'm missing more than usual today...

My beach, for one.

Funnel Cakes in South Bethany,

Dolle's Salt Water Taffy.

The feel of hot sand under my feet,

The smell of Coppertone sunscreen - SPF 30, to be exact.

Building sandcastles and searching for sea glass,

Then hot fudge sundaes and chocolate sodas at The Royal Treat.

Late evening walks along the ocean's edge

And running from the cold waves, into familiar open arms.

Waking up to the sound of jazz and NPR coming from an old radio,

Fruit Loops and Trix on the cozy screen porch.

Loose, faded newspaper clippings gathered on the table,

Amidst countless photos of memories over the years.

Marbles and wind-up toys in random corners of the house,

Golden retrievers and Wishbone.

Duct tape, and how it could fix anything.

Ireland, even though I've never been.

Rooting for the Baltimore Orioles,

Or hiding the remote because I wanted to watch cartoons,

And hiding cigarettes... because they're bad.

Extra chocolatey malted milkshakes straight from the blender.

Silvery white hair, topped with a decade-old Winnie the Pooh hat,

And a sparkling personality, with the brightest blue eyes to match.

My grandfather.

So I suppose what I've been missing most today isn't a thing - or a hair color - at all... It's my Papa. Today would have been his 87th birthday, and even though it's been more than five years since he was here to celebrate, I can still close my eyes... and smell pink peppermints and aftershave... and hear his infectious laugh... and admire his strength of character... and be grateful for the life my Grandmom and he made for their family... and feel his overwhelming love.

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy"

-Psalm 30:11 (NLT)