Oh, The Silage Of Our Mind

I ran across a very distinct definition of the word “Silage” – The scent that liners in the air – the trail left in water - the impression made in space after something or someone has been or gone - the trace of someone’s perfume.  Smiling I thought not just the scent of fodder from a barn.

Somewhere in the early morning I began to ponder the word – and immediately thought about that line from the old movie “The Parent Trap” where the young girl is sniffing her grandfather’s jacket.  He asked what exactly are you doing?  Her response – making memories . . . . . making memory silage. . .

What a perfect time of the year that our mind is full of memory silage from the past. It is the silage of Thanksgiving you can actually scent of sage and sweet concoctions – fills our memory of Thanksgiving with family.  The silage that seeps us from dreading these holiday times from not so wonderful that commercials convenience us that the holidays are something deemed to be perfect but deep in your heart the trail of disappointment and pain are still fresh. . There is silage that stays with us for years and years during the holidays.

Christmas has been stamped with the silage of pine needles – cinnamon – even the rustling of packages being opened but more times that we is the mingling of prevalent silage from not so happy events.  Those holiday movies – you know the ones – that takes holiday events on a roller coaster ride – with an always perfect ending.  But reality has taught us that many folks and many times the end result if far from perfect.

For me there are the cherished memories of going to South Georgia to be with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Even those have some silage that were not so pleasant – I still remember being at my aunt’s house on Christmas day and receiving a pair of red socks from her.  To this day I don’t like red socks and never would I give a child socks for Christmas. Laughing – although I do love wild and crazy socks. Christmas with my children and now my grandchildren.  The looks on their faces are always priceless.

There were Christmas silage that make me still weep, but I learned that instead of turning inward, I would turn outward.  Since my daughter was around three, I would take her to a Mississippi Event – The Mistletoe Market Place hosted by the Junior League of Jackson.  It was magical to see all the beautiful decorations and excited vendors displaying their beautiful items and now some thirty years later we still go to kick off our holiday – looking and planning and always having a “Beagle Bagel” chicken salad sandwich for lunch. 

There was the year I took her to another Jackson, Mississippi event – "The Belhaven Christmas Tree" – a live tree filled with wonderful singers singing out into the night all the wonderful Christmas Carols, but alas it was not a big hit, as the ground was cold and damp and even though we sat on a quilt and snuggled up close – for a child it was miserable – never again. Laughing.  Memory Silage.

The list whether an everyday event or a holiday event – The Memory Silage is there. That can be sparked by almost anything.

What is your Memory Silage?