When you think of the past, what comes to mind? Perhaps the one Auntie who squeezed your cheeks every time she saw you. Maybe it was the Uncle who always, took you to the local ice cream joint for a cold treat. Maybe it was your first pets.
We all have them, memories of our families, friends etc. Those memories are avenues to our past and come with both good and bad vibes. I tend to focus on the good times because they bring me the most joy of course. When I was a child we had a good life, our parents were blessed both with each other and the means to provide for a family of five. We had everything we could want and then some. My parents bought a pony for us when I was about a year old. Later, one night I remember my sister and I at the age of about 3 and 6, were in the tub after a long day of playing and were missing the pony who was in the backyard. I remember my mother sitting on the chair watching us as my brother and dad came down the hall. Before I knew it, there they were, with a pony. Yes, our pony, Candy was in the house, in the hallway watching us bathe.
Shortly after that, our lives were filled with more pets. Along came Gip, Pit and Pat over the next year. Gip, our pig whose name was pig spelled backwards--was the sweetest pig. He was black and played in our backyard along with the ducks, Pit and Pat. Together, Candy, Gip, Pit and Pat were the staples of our first experience with pets. Now, mind you we did NOT live on a farm. We lived in Hialeah, Florida right on East 51st Street smack dab in the middle of the city. How my parents managed that I'll never know, but they did and we had the BEST childhood any kid could ask for. My dad would have pony rides in the front yard for the neighborhood kids and when we weren't on the pony, we were playing with the ducks or the pig. Candy loved the children and she also enjoyed treats of all kinds. Gip ate mostly our leftovers and seemed to love it. The ducks weren't quite keen on the leftovers but they did like to ride on the back of Gip. Yes, on the pig.
It's like a storybook right? It is though, the truth and how my early years with pets started. Candy was with our family until giving her last pony rides to my kids and my nephews and nieces around 1991. That was the saddest day ever, I sure miss that pony. The pig and ducks stayed with us until we move from Hialeah to Osceola County in early 1972. They went to the REAL farm, seriously, a real farm. Not a dinner plate or anything else, they I assumed lived happily ever after on their farm with their friends.
Memories are fun to share and I'd love to hear about yours. Share them below if you so wish on the comment section. Here's a couple photos of my brother, baby sister and I
with Gip the pig and my first ride on Candy, the pony when I was a baby. (I can't find Pit and Pat photos right now.)
My mom was hiding behind the pony lol, she never liked to have her photo taken. That's my Grandma Martin holding me up. Look at us kids playing with the pig, lol. Thanks Mom and Dad, what a lovely life. xo.
