What do you miss most about childhood?

A facebook friend presented this question this morning and it got me thinking. Those thoughts then turned into what I felt as blog worthy. This isn't something that I have really thought much about. Childhood.

child·hood/ˈCHīldˌho͝od/
Noun:
1.The state of being a child.
2.The period during which a person is a child.

By definition, childhood is just a period of time, a state of being. To me, childhood was much more than just this. Childhood is a time of growing, learning, understanding. Childhood is happy, exciting, memorable. Childhood is innocent, vulnerable, dependent. Childhood IS a period of time, but it is a period of time that molded me into the adult I am today. It is a period of time that I value. I am grateful for my childhood and forever indebted to my amazing parents for providing some great life lessons. For sacrificing so much just to be my mom and dad.

I am sure that my siblings and parents would agree that our childhood was rough. Many would say that it wasn't ideal. And it wasn't. Parents divorced when I was young... I have very few memories of being an unbroken family, that makes me sad. I do know however that my parents were better for it. They did what they needed to do in order to be the best parents that they could. I know they couldn't do that together.

We moved a lot. I had only one childhood friend that withstood all the moves... this was only because our mothers were best friends. I can't tell you where I went to Kindergarten, first, second, third, or even fourth grade. I just know that I went to a lot of schools, encountered a lot of teachers. Because of the roaming, the instability, I learned to rely greatly upon my siblings for support and entertainment. They were and are still some of my very best friends. They were solid. Our love for one another has never wavered and we still rely on one another. I am very protective of my family because throughout my childhood they were ALWAYS there when so many were walking in and out. Regardless of what trial we were pushing through, they were my stability. Throughout the years, my family has grown with abundance... I have gained a great deal of family... siblings, children, a husband, parents whom my protective nature has extended out to. It takes me a long time to let people in... but once you are in, you're in. Cross my family wrong, and forgiveness does not come easy. Some may consider this a not so good quality to have, but my family is my most valued possession if you will (though I know they aren't possessions I can't quite find the words to explain it aside from that) and I will go to great lengths to protect them.

Being a broken, dysfunctional some would call us, family may not have been ideal, but it is what we are. We may be broken, but we have created a more solid foundation than many families who remain unbroken. Why is this? I feel it is because we had to put so much trust and faith into one another. We were given an entirely different perspective of love and life. We had to fight harder. We had to be strong from a young age. We struggled, a lot... and because of that we learned responsibility. When life felt hopeless we had to pull together to make it through. We experienced losses, and learned to value what remained.

Though there is parts of my childhood I don't miss, I can say I am grateful for the bad because it taught me to appreciate the good. So to answer the question what I miss most about my childhood this is what I have. I miss sitting on my dad's lap and falling asleep on his chest. I miss my parents wiping my tears when I skinned my knee or had my feelings hurt. I miss when bandaids ALWAYS made everything better. I miss my mom teaching me to cook. I miss my dad taking my feel bads out of my ears and kissing them all better. I miss rocking out in the car with my mom and sisters to good old 80's music.... "Don't worry be happy now... Doooo do do do do do do do do dododo" "Saraaahhhhhh Sarahhhhhh No time is a good time for goodbye!!" I miss the excitement I felt those Friday evenings when I knew I got to go spend the weekend with my dad, and I miss the excitement of coming home to mom on Sunday. I miss school and learning. I miss summers spent playing with my sisters, jumping on the trampoline, sleepovers at grandparents, making up dances in the front yard. I miss making nests for the birds in my grandparents tree and watching grandpa climb his big wooden ladder to carefully place our nests as high up as he could. I miss cops and robbers... cowboys and Indians. I miss the childhood magic of Christmas when my parents paid such close attention to details like carrot shavings in the yard making those memories remain vivid in my mind. I miss camping and fishing with my dad. Sometimes I even miss being dependent on my parents.

I could go on and on about what I miss about childhood and this tells me one thing,
No matter how many highs or how many lows I experienced, I really did have a good childhood and I am grateful for it. I had the very best people by my side through it all and I am grateful for them too.