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Monday, May 16, 2011

The Salad Days

When I was reading "Water for Elephants" I was struck by a beautiful passage. I came across it one night while reading in the bath, desperate to get a little solitude and quiet after dealing with a toddler's meltdowns, a princesses constant pleading for attention and piles of laundry. It made me smile. I felt my 80 year old self whispering to pay attention and I read it over and over again.

Those were the salad days, the halcyon years! The sleepless nights, the wailing babies; the days the interior of the house looked like it had been hit by a hurricane; the times I had five kids....and a wife in bed with fever. Even when the fourth glass of milk got spilled in a single night, or the shrill screeching threatened to split my skull, or when I was bailing out some son or other -- or, in one memorable instance, Bobo -- from a minor predicament at the police station, they were good years, grand years.




Here's to the exhausting best days of my life.

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9 comments:

  1. AlzbetaMay 16, 2011 at 12:02 AM

    The impressive thing is that the bed underneath that pile is made! You deserve a pat on the back for that one :).

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  2. Natalie JaneMay 16, 2011 at 12:18 AM

    It's the guest room so it's the one place that stays clean. When people come over I shut every door but that one.

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  3. CarrieMay 16, 2011 at 12:26 AM

    Natalie. The bed is made. YOU WIN. ;-)

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  4. CarrieMay 16, 2011 at 12:29 AM

    Oh, just saw the comment above! HA!

    Okay, even a made guest bed is a winner. Abby now sleeps in our guest room because she doesn't like her own bed. So we don't have a made guest bed, master bed, or toddler bed since she still plays there. You totally still win. ;-)

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  5. BlairMay 16, 2011 at 12:29 AM

    This makes me want to read "Water for Elephants," if I ever get some free time one of these salad days.

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  6. Amanda @ Life with A.CoMay 16, 2011 at 9:13 PM

    What a sweet passage. It's certainly reigns true.
    Thanks for including links to the definitions - love learning new words.

    PS - I'm here EVERYDAY but I can't comment due to internet restrictions at work :S Love coming to check out what's going on in your life and such - keep up the great blogging.

    PPS - Happy 10th Anniversary!! (belated) What a milestone! :)

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  7. Joel DeehrMay 17, 2011 at 1:46 PM

    Natalie, my sister Amy told me to check out your blog post about your letter to your kids after my girlfriend and i just broke up. Thanks for the insights!

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  8. JennMay 18, 2011 at 9:11 AM

    I love this photo!!!

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  9. JaclynMay 27, 2011 at 1:10 AM

    I loved that quote when I read that book, and I love this post.

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