If I Could Turn Back Time. . .

I returned from a brief visit to Gatlinburg to find a friend had tagged me for a Table Topic: “If you could relive a time or event in your life, what would you choose?” Since Rosie listed five, I took that as a precedent and have listed my five times/events I would love to relive:

#5 Summers on my grandfather’s porch listening to family and family friends spin yarns and tell tall tales. I’d love to hear those stories again and ask the questions as a child I so wish I would have asked now that I no longer can.

#4 (tie) A late spring afternoon sitting with Bobby at the back of the Jefferson Memorial. Looking out at the spring blooms and the coral, lavender and pink tinged clouds as the sun set while we shared our hopes and dreams.

Late one early spring evening in Gatlinburg, Bobby and I are sitting around the fountain in The Village after the shops had closed and other visitors had gone to their hotel rooms and we are once again sharing our hopes, dreams, fears, desires and plans.

#3 On our honeymoon, Bobby and I had the wonderful opportunity of touring Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. As a little boy, Bobby had seen a photo of this castle and couldn’t believe it was an actual place! As a teenager, he had traveled with his family to Germany and hoped to visit the castle only to arrive as the gates were closing. This was a crushing disappointment, but years later it made sense. The Lord had planned for Bobby and his new bride to experience the fairytale castle together. I was so thrilled for him, thrilled to witness the fulfillment of one of his dreams, and then it happened. I fell in love with the place too. Now we refer to it as “our castle.”
#2 My wedding day. I know it’s corny, but there you go. I enjoyed my wedding. The ceremony was God-centered, not us-centered which is what we wanted. We had a church-shaped wedding cake because the Church was such a part of us as a couple. The songs all had such meaning for us. One special song, My Tribute, was played during the prelude: “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved, yet you give to prove Your love for me. . .all that I am or ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee.” As we went to dinner that evening at the Brown Hotel, we passed a conference room and a soloist was singing that song. It was like a hug from God.

#1 Time with my Dad. Dancing with him. Listening to him singing or imitating someone or telling a story. Telling him I love him one more time.