All Psyched Up: WE USED TO…

By Medicine Hat News on October 5, 2024.

Recently, we had a couple of family weddings and got together with people who we had promised to see for a long time. It is easy to make these promises but then time creeps up on us and we find ourselves making the same promises again and again.

My brother-in-law and I have known each other for over 50 years and shared lots of experiences. Because my sister had Multiple Sclerosis, however, and he was her main caregiver, he didn’t get to Alberta to see family. Now that she is gone and we had scheduled a family wedding, he made the trip and we all benefitted.

There was lots of laughter as we sat in the backyard of my daughter and son-in-law, telling tales of the past. Those who were listening were often surprised and had great questions about the antics that we had experienced over the years. We talked about the characteristics of family members who are long gone and of activities that we had enjoyed decades ago.

Many sentences began with “We used to….”.

Here are some of the things that maybe you can say “We used to…”:

1. Have hobbies like going to curling bonspiels where we had to finish the competition in the following winter because the natural ice had thawed.

2. Triple waterski behind a 60 hp motor at the lake.

3. Hear stories from our aunt about how women had a card on which the men could write their name in order to reserve a particular dance at the Saturday night social.

4. Laugh at the wit of a friend who was always full of jokes.

5. Spend a lot of time in church which was a social hub of the community.

6. Crochet, knit or build wooden items that we could give as gifts.

7. Not share personal information on the “party line.”

8. Have large gardens from which we would do canning of the produce.

9. Play outdoors as children and read books (rather than sit in front of computer screens).

10. Know our relatives and spend time with them for all the birthdays, holidays and celebrations.

I don’t waterski now or curl, but I do have wonderful memories of these and other things. My knitting and crocheting days are pretty well gone, and it is so much easier to have groceries delivered rather than face growing gardens.

The most wonderful thing of all is that there still are some weddings, funeral gatherings and special occasions when we can get together and talk about “We used to…”

What are the things that you think of when reading this article? Tell someone: “We used to…”.

Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Calgary. She can be reached by email at office@drlindahancock.com

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