Wyoming Memories

I am an only child. My mom is an only child. All of my dad’s family lives in Nebraska. Needless to say the bulk of my extended family came in the form of family friends. There is one group in particular which populate my childhood memories from beginning to end. These were people with whom my mom was very good friends (one of which since high school) since way before I was even a glimmer in her eye.

J has just about always lived in Wyoming and he had a sweet little house in Lander when I was little. We used to go up there just about every weekend. Keep in mind that Lander is an 8 hour drive from Denver. And we literally would go every single weekend. They had a hot tub and kitties and the whole house just had a lovely, soft, homey feeling about it. I loved that house. Except for one thing. There was one exposed heating grate that you just knew to stay away from when the heat was because that sucker would get white hot. So I learned from almost the moment I stepped foot into that house to just stay far away from it when it was cold enough for the heat to be on. Period.

And then one day I was playing chase with the closest person I have to a sibling and forgot what I was doing. I suddenly found myself standing on that grate with both feet and before I knew what was happening I was just screaming. It hurt so badly that I just could not move. So I stood there, my feet getting more and more burned by the moment, screaming. J finally rushed in after a minute or two and whisked me off the grate and onto the couch. I had perfect lines in what were probably second degree burns running across my feet like railroad tracks. I will never forget that moment of pain paralysis. And I will never forget that house or the people who lived and loved in it.

My mom and I are heading back to Wyoming this weekend and I cannot wait to see these people.