Early Memory Magic

Whenever I hear the question, "What is your earliest childhood memory?" I think of three different memories. Two of them include my maternal grandmother, Ollie Mae, who died when I was only four years old. She was sick for awhile before that so I had to be very young when these vague memories were formed. The first one is of being at her house and finding a doll in the closet that was meant for me as either a birthday or Christmas gift. I want to think it was Mrs. Beasley but I'm not certain.

In the other memory of her, I am sitting on her lap in a rocking chair on her front porch wearing a nightgown and robe (so it must have been early morning) and watching someone (my mother?) getting either in or out of a car parked at the road in front of the house. It's a memory filled with love, warmth and complete and total contentment. 

The third memory took place at our house (I think around Christmastime) when I was maybe three years old and my parents (who divorced when I was five) had many guests in the house. For some odd reason, I recall eating M&M's out of my little white Donald Duck bowl. Somehow that bowl survived through the years and every time I saw it, I would still see those M&M's in the bottom of it and recall my tiny hands picking them out and savoring every milk chocolaty crunch.

A couple of years ago I was at my mom's house when I spotted the bowl in the kitchen cabinet. My inner child did a cartwheel when she told me to take it home. Now still, every time I see or use it, I think of those M&M's and my heart smiles in sweet remembrance of that childlike wonder. 

Day 12