CHILDHOOD MEMORIES OF BEING HOMESICK FOR FIRST TIME AS A CHILD
June 16, 2014
By Olivene Godfrey
I often think of my first experience with being "homesick" at this time of the year. When I was a child, my Daddy would take our family to visit his parents about once a month. They lived on a large farm in Middle Tennessee, we lived in Chattanooga. I loved visiting the farm and being with my grandparents and two unmarried aunts.
One summer when I was about six or seven, we had an especially good time and I asked my parents to let me stay at the farm for a week. I had never been away from home before, but my parents agreed to my visit. I noticed my Mother looked teary-eyed, but I was still happy. My grandmother and aunts kept me busy until late Monday afternoon. This was before TV's and my Grandpa listened to the news on the radio. I wandered out to the large back porch and leaned against a column and was overcome by a wave of desire to see my parents and sisters. Suddenly, my Aunt Esther came out on the porch and asked how I was feeling as she said later, she could see the homesickness in my face. Suddenly, I felt my lips quiver and then the tears and sobs came. Aunt Esther took me back in the house and kept me busy until bedtime.
The aunts and my grandparents let me help with the farm chores, like gathering the hen eggs. Aunt Eula always got "primped" up after lunch and was ahead of her time, as she "teased" the front of her long hair and then put it up in a pompadour. She helped me take a bath in a wash tub in the smoke house. They didn't have indoor plumbing and my bath water came from one of the large rain barrels behind the farm house. When Aunt Eula and I were "ready", we walked to the post office which was inside a large general store. I chose the few pieces of candy Aunt Eula bought me.
One day that week the family all got in my Grandpa's car and we traveled to the nearest town. Grandma bought me a dress I loved, as it was long and my Mother sewed short skirts for my sisters and me. When we returned to the farm house, it was discovered that Grandpa had bought a watermelon for me and so had Aunt Esther. We all had a big laugh about that , as I loved watermelon.
I was happy to see my parents and sisters when they came for me. But, I've never forgotten being homesick that first time.
See you next time. Comments welcome. (As told to Tam)
By Olivene Godfrey
I often think of my first experience with being "homesick" at this time of the year. When I was a child, my Daddy would take our family to visit his parents about once a month. They lived on a large farm in Middle Tennessee, we lived in Chattanooga. I loved visiting the farm and being with my grandparents and two unmarried aunts.
One summer when I was about six or seven, we had an especially good time and I asked my parents to let me stay at the farm for a week. I had never been away from home before, but my parents agreed to my visit. I noticed my Mother looked teary-eyed, but I was still happy. My grandmother and aunts kept me busy until late Monday afternoon. This was before TV's and my Grandpa listened to the news on the radio. I wandered out to the large back porch and leaned against a column and was overcome by a wave of desire to see my parents and sisters. Suddenly, my Aunt Esther came out on the porch and asked how I was feeling as she said later, she could see the homesickness in my face. Suddenly, I felt my lips quiver and then the tears and sobs came. Aunt Esther took me back in the house and kept me busy until bedtime.
The aunts and my grandparents let me help with the farm chores, like gathering the hen eggs. Aunt Eula always got "primped" up after lunch and was ahead of her time, as she "teased" the front of her long hair and then put it up in a pompadour. She helped me take a bath in a wash tub in the smoke house. They didn't have indoor plumbing and my bath water came from one of the large rain barrels behind the farm house. When Aunt Eula and I were "ready", we walked to the post office which was inside a large general store. I chose the few pieces of candy Aunt Eula bought me.
One day that week the family all got in my Grandpa's car and we traveled to the nearest town. Grandma bought me a dress I loved, as it was long and my Mother sewed short skirts for my sisters and me. When we returned to the farm house, it was discovered that Grandpa had bought a watermelon for me and so had Aunt Esther. We all had a big laugh about that , as I loved watermelon.
I was happy to see my parents and sisters when they came for me. But, I've never forgotten being homesick that first time.
See you next time. Comments welcome. (As told to Tam)
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