My favorite childhood memory takes place at the cottage in Bedford, Pennsylvania.

I am walking down the steps of the big cottage heading to Uncle Lynn’s house. I’m holding my Baba’s hand and we are both so excited that my Nelson relatives are going to be there along with all of the Yoders.

Baba tells me that she has a surprise for me. When we get to uncle Lynn’s house, my cousin Leon is there with a big box. Inside the box is a raccoon. Apparently I am supposed to love this animal – even though it is daytime and I have been told not to go to near raccoons during the day.

I run to uncle Lynn and he takes me inside for a banana popsicle. We sit on the porch swing eating our Popsicles until people start showing up.

I remember seeing Aunt Evelyn, Aunt Lorie, Aunt Dorothy, Grandma Nelson, and even Great-Grandma Nelson. I know that other Nelson aunts and uncles and even my cousins are there, but I don’t remember exactly who shows up this time.

Great-Grandma Nelson is sitting in a rocking lawn-chair by a picnic table under a huge pine tree. She’s rocking back and forth drinking something iced out of a tall glass while having conversations with my aunts. 

The Yoder cousins are running around playing a game of tag and life is starting to get hectic, as it does when two huge families gather together. Maybe it’s getting a little too hectic at the moment.

I walk over to the tree swing at Catherwood’s cottage. This swing is where I go when I feel overwhelmed.  Baba is sitting there staring off into space. I climb onto the swing and put my head on her lap. We swing there for what seems like hours – listening to the sounds of nature and blocking out the noise of the gathering happening behind us.

As I am lying there on that swing, I realize that in a place full of people, I was most happy on that particular swing with that particular woman.

I find that when I am around too many people, their energy zaps mine. I have to find a place to be quiet and recharge. And I’m starting to believe that my grandmother is the same way.

Baba has a knack for comforting me when I need it most. And, looking back, I think I was comforting for her too.

I am so grateful for the memories of that day. I am grateful for the realizations I was able to come to because of that day. And I am so grateful for the memories of my time with my grandmother on that swing.

I am also grateful that both sides of my family have always gotten along so well, that they spent so much time together, and we all felt like one big family.

Something even more special is how grateful I am that I have so many memories of my great-grandmother. I have many cousins who don’t remember her, and it feels great knowing that I got to spend some time with her – even if it’s only for a small amount of time.