Sherwood Shores...

When I was little I spent many summer days splashing and swimming along the shoreline of a place called Sherwood Shores.

That name.  I mean, the name sounds magical and theatrical in and of itself, but those days... they are largely unmatched in my huge collection of epic childhood memory folders.  And listen, my filing cabinet is large and overflowing.

This past weekend I got to take my own little family there.  I was careful not to oversell it since I didn't trust my "full of pixie dust childhood memory bank" to report accurately on all things Sherwood Shores.  Turns out... I could've talked the place up for days and it still would have outshone it's reputation.  It was amazing.

The water for skiing was glass.  The shoreline was shaded with oversized cottonwood trees and a few weeping willows.  The lake house - while run down from it's prior pristine condition and overgrown in the yard, still maintained it's sandy walk ways and it's lawn for lounging and it's shaded outdoor dining area for a crowd.  

And my cousins -- You guys -- Those people that grew up with you and knew you as a kid and share similar memories to yours?  You have to hold on to those people.  It was like we hadn't skipped a beat.  I loved every moment and I still feel so lucky to call them mine.

I feel like we should head back to those magical childhood memories anytime things get rough.  Like, the times where you're yearning for a little more communication or love or understanding and life's comforter seems a bit threadbare?  You can make it through - and it helps if you head back to the sweet days of childhood with your own children.

It doesn't hurt either when your 60-year-old mama shows off her skiing skills to your little people and they sit in amazement as she carves it up on the very lake she learned to ski years prior.  :)

{Please let that power be passed along in the genes.}

Anyway, once you get there - to that stage, where unbeknownst to you, you played a role when the curtain lifted... press Play and Repeat on the soundtrack.  The tunes that waft through the air are so soothingly familiar to you that you instantly get into character... and then the after party?  Where you swoop all those people you love out onto your proverbial dance floor and live it up just like you once did?  I'm telling you -- cure the world of all it's ails type stuff.

I sound high on life - I understand... Like I rode a unicorn into this weekend and had him pull our boat home over a rainbow colored I-15.  The thing is - I kinda did.  The unicorn is in the stable munching on Lucky Charms for now, but he'll be charioting us back soon.  Because I feel a sweet repeat of all the best, magical childhood things coming soon.  :)

My heart is full and happy.  And my family is sun kissed and tired.  Perfect combination.

Please let them store this weekend away in their own little filing cabinets 

full of delightful childhood memories - forever.