Back to a Simpler Time...

Saturday was one of those days that made me think back to a simpler time. Not an easier time or even, necessarily, a happier time.

Just a simpler time.

Diane and I decided to head down to the Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall Saturday. We've been there quite a few times, but not for quite a while. We've always parked by the entrance to the Bass Pro Shop and Diane and Joseph or, in later years, Diane would head out into the mall while Matthew and I perused Bass Pro Shop's offerings. We were diligent about meticulously going through the boating, marine, fishing, fly shop, guns, hunting, knife and camping departments. We'd spend hours talking about the goodies we saw - and wishing we could buy them all.

This time was different, though. Joseph and Anna live in Florida and Matthew and Shelley live in Pennsylvania. This time, it was just Diane and me.

Diane wanted to look through Bass Pro's clothing department, so I wandered off to my normal routine only, this time, it wasn't normal at all. I constantly caught myself looking at some new (or old) thing and thinking, "Matthew would love this," or, "Matthew would get a kick out of this," or, "Matthew would laugh at this."

Diane and I wandered around the mall a bit after she finished checking out at Bass Pro. I found myself looking at the sports memorabilia stores and thinking how much Joseph would have enjoyed poking around in there as a boy.

It was all kind of hard, and it made me think back to those simpler times.

Those times before Cancer.

Those times before the boys were called to other parts of the country.

Those times before...

I'm not saying I want to go back to those times; although, it would be great if we could skip over the Cancer parts. But going back would also mean we would miss some of the most wonderful times of our lives...

Times like college graduations.

Times like getting to know the wonderful young ladies God brought into the boys' lives.

Times like their weddings.

Times when we laughed and times when we cried.

It's just all part of life moving on. I suppose I tend to look back through rose-colored glasses.

Maybe those days weren't really simpler at all, just different.