I ♥ Faces Challenge: Nostalgia

It was cleaned and ready for him when we got there - that old truck that had been so loved and played with so many years ago. My father, my uncles, then my brother and my cousins - everyone had taken turns driving this thing around the farm - through the dirt, the mud, the cow pies. My Papaw had cleaned it up, and as he gave it to us he apologized for how rusty the truck had become. I was thinking that after years of love and adoration of generations of little boys, this truck was lucky to have 4 wheels and the bed still attached to the cab. His thoughtfulness touched my heart, and made a tear or two well up in my eyes. My son didn't see the rusty old truck that my Papaw thought it had become - he saw a new toy - something that could haul sticks and rocks and dirt - something that he could play with for hours in the yard - through the dirt, the mud, and (in our yard) the dog piles (we do try to get those up though).

Seeing him with that old toy takes me back to my childhood - playing at my Nanny and Papaw's farm with all the "new" toys. Like the old cast iron stove that sat on their patio -I made many a delicious (according to my Papaw) mud pie out there, or the red boucing ball that belonged to my uncles, or the Lincoln logs in the closet or Tinkertoys that sat right beside them. Nothing too over the top - nothing extremely special - just overly loved - which is exactly how I remember feeling on the farm, and something I hope for my children when they look back on their childhood.

Here's to seeing things through a childs eye. Here's to generations of love that were handed down to my son. Here's to family that always wishes they could do more. Here's to remembering. Here's to simple love - of a great grandfather to his great grandson . . .

To see more pictures that evoke nostalgia, check out all the posts at I ♥ Faces this week!