Five Minute Friday - Remember

Whoo-Hoo!  It's Friday, and I can't wait to share it with you!  Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back over here at Lisa Jo's Place and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..

OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on:::

Remember…

START

I remember when life seemed so simple.  When the only problems that I faced were the mean kids down the street, and whether or not I could watch the scary movie after my bedtime.  I remember picking the roses off the bushes for the kitchen table, and climbing the tree outside my back door.  
I remember going up all the way to the top until the branches were too small to stand on any more, then rocking gently in the wind, back an forth, until the darkness came and it was time to go inside.  I remember walking to school, both ways with every other kid in the area.  The only kids allowed to ride the bus were the ones that lived two miles or more away.  
I remember my first kiss, my first date, my first license, and the first time I drove in California all by myself. 
(I was 17).  I remember each and every one of my children, the way they looked when they were small.  Their smiles, their tears, there trials and their love.  How I remember the love!  I remember the hugs and kisses, the homemade gifts, the snuggles and the smiles.  I remember all the nights on the paper route where they helped me earn the money that we needed to live.  
The most important things that I remember are the family times that we shared.  The road trips before we could afford DVD players in the car.  The times we stopped at every memorial on the road, (the kids thought it was to play, but it was really for me to have a break).  I remember counting cars and cows, and singing at the top of our lungs to Ray Stevens and the Beach Boys.  
I remember being loved.  I remember being wanted.  I remember the times that made it all worth while.  

STOP

Now, what can you remember in just five minutes?  Don't forget to go over to Lisa Jo's and join us!