A Little Girl, A Country Visit, and a Wagon Full of Memories
When I was a little girl, my mom would take me to visit family out in the country…
There was something so special about those days.
A farmhouse filled with aunts and uncles, laughter, conversation, and the kind of comfort that only family brings.
But what made it even more magical…
was everything in between.
My two older sisters—teenagers at the time- would take me around town in an old wagon they found in the garage.
We would ride slowly along, stopping at little places that felt so important to me…
My mother’s church.
The small schoolhouse where she had gone to school.
I remember the red brick building…
and the long flight of stairs leading up to the front door.
It felt so big to me then.
My mother once told me that there were children from several grades all learning together in one classroom.
Not separated the way schools are today… but gathered, learning side by side.
That little Catholic schoolhouse gave her a beautiful education.
She had the most beautiful handwriting I can remember ever seeing…
She was articulate, thoughtful, and so kind.
And somehow… that simple place helped shape all of that.
And always… there was one more stop.
The corner confectionery.
We would go in and get a bottle of Whistle Orange Soda—cold, sweet, and such a treat on a warm day.
I can still see it in my hands.
And then… there was the house next door.
An elderly woman lived there—a seamstress.
I wish I could remember her name.
She made Barbie doll clothes by hand and sold them along with the dolls.
And when we would visit, my mom and my aunts would take me next door to see her.
All those Barbies…
The tiny clothes, carefully sewn…
Everything displayed with such care.
To a little girl, it felt like stepping into something magical.
Years later, I realized something that made those memories even sweeter…
The very first Barbie was introduced in 1959—
the same year I was born.
And somewhere along the way, I began collecting a few of my own…
The 40th… the 50th… the 60th anniversary Barbies…
And a few that I simply loved, like the Bob Mackie Sun Goddess and Moon Goddess.
Not just dolls…
But little reminders of joy, of childhood, and of moments that stay with us.
Sometimes we think we have to leave those things behind.
But I’m learning…
There is something beautiful about holding onto what once made us smile.
About letting a memory stay…
not as something we outgrow,
but as something we carry forward.
“Let the little children come to me…” — Matthew 19:14
Perhaps there is something sacred in remembering…
in keeping a small part of that childlike joy with us.
💛 A quiet thought for today:
What is something from your childhood that still brings you joy?
May your home hold the memories that shaped you,
and may the simple gifts of learning, love, and childhood wonder
continue to guide your days.
Helene
Rosemary Thyme 🌿
