Black Beauty And Amelia

I was standing at the kitchen counter this morning getting my breakfast ready...(one Thomas's Whole Wheat English Muffin lightly buttered with Fleishman's olive oil spread, a glass of orange juice and coffee in my Davey mug) realizing I really do not feel good. I turned to look at the thermometer outside the kitchen window to see how cold it was. It said it was somewhere around 20 degrees fahrenheit...warmer than it has been for a while now.

In that insignificant moment I went back in time....mostly because we have an important event to go to tonight whether I feel good or not.

Tonight Amelia, my 11 year old granddaughter, is going to be performing in her church production of Godspell. I can't miss it. I won't miss it.

You see, when I was a little girl...I can't remember exactly how old...the movie Black Beauty was playing at our local theater. It was the dead of winter and I was sick. It was the last night Black Beauty would be showing and I just had to see it....I just had to! It was so cold out that night. It was in the days when winter came with a vengeance. I asked if I could go see Black Beauty. I had to see Black Beauty. My mom didn't think I should go out. It was too cold and I was too sick. I could see my dad was considering it. Finally, he said, "Well, I think we could bundle her up nice and warm and that would be ok." He would take me.

I was happy. I got so bundled up I doubt I could hardly bend my legs to sit in the car. We only lived a short ways from the movie house so the car really didn't have much time to warm up. My dad took me to see Black Beauty and what I really remember is coming out of the theater, getting in the car, my dad walking around the car to get in himself and my teeth chattering I was so cold. I couldn't stop them. With the cold on my cheeks, my arms wrapped around myself to keep warm and a blanket on my lap we headed home and it is one of my nicest memories.

I will be there tonight Amelia. And, I think I will call my dad and say, "Thank you!"