I was an odd child. I would be perfectly happy off by myself lost in my own imagination. I would create worlds of my own. I remember every summer at each of my grandmas house I had a special tree.
At my Grandma Shellabarger’s house, there was a beautiful willow tree, and when the tree was fully bloomed I would play within the branches. The whips of the tree would get so long and full, they would create “rooms”. That willow tree became my “hotel” that and I was the owner of this “hotel”. I would have all kinds of guests, mostly characters of my favorite stories, and I would play and play until the sun went down (or until the ground turned into lava and if I was going to survive the sudden volcanic eruption I had to find the quickest and safest way out 😉)
At my Grandma Snyder’s house, there was your typical old oak tree that set right off my grandparents back patio. One spring, after a crazy thunderstorm, a branch broke off where it connected to the trunk. But because of this, I noticed that it provided the perfect foot hole to climb into that tree. When I was up in the middle of that tree I found a perfect place to sit, and as I stared out into the fields that loomed out into the horizon, I noticed them slowly turn into small waves, I heard seagulls flying over me, I smelled the fresh salty air. And what I saw when I looked directly down? I saw my feet standing in the crows nest of my very own ship.
You know what I love about that memory specifically? It is the very first time I created something of my very own. I remember climbing down from my “crows nest” and running into my grandparents garage and finding a hammer, and any nails and spare boards I could find. Then I ran back to the tree, climbed back up and I built my ship.
All sudden done, it was obviously a pitiful looking thing. But to me it was magnificent! There was never going to be anything better than that ship (other than my hotel possibly 🙃)
The one thing I have always taken pride of as I have grown is that I have never stopped being “odd”. I have always had this crazy imagination that just won’t stop. I remember in school I would get caught day dreaming by teachers, because I have created a world inside my head that was so perfect I didn’t want to leave it.
As an adult, I still do this. I will space out and get lost in my own mind. Usually, I am thinking of something else I can add to my plate (ask my husband 😂). But, it has helped me create and build a life for myself and my family. I would never change it because it is who I am. God has blessed me with the gift of imagination. When I think about it, it reminds me of the creation of the universe. God has one creative mind. I mean look around you, all the plants, animals, people, etc. Were created by Him! It’s so overwhelmingly beautiful because He took the time to make sure each and every detail was perfect when He created them.
“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them“ -Genesis 1:27
So go out and be your own kind of “odd” today! 🙂
So go out and be your own kind of “odd” today! 🙂
1 Comment
I love this! Five years ago I specifically chose to plant a willow tree in our backyard (against my husband's wishes) so that I would have one to read to my grandchildren under! Soon I will have two grandchildren to take out to it:)