Commentary By Danielle Pelkey

The North Jefferson News



This past weekend was the perfect weather to get out of the house and spend some quality time with family. Our family took a lovely day off to the Gardendale Kiddie Park and brought pizza and ice cream for the kids. It was a lovely, fattening experience.

Although the kids looked like they had been in a war, they had a great time. The birds were singing and the grass was somewhat green. It was hard to believe that it had snowed the week before.

As the days are getting longer, it seems harder to sit behind a desk all day. I think this is what they call “spring fever.” This weather makes you want to get out and do something exciting.

Can you remember the last time that you threw the old baseball around with your son in the yard? Or when did you last turn up the music and dance outside with your daughter? If you don’t feel like doing all of that moving around, how about just sitting in a rocking chair on your front porch and watching the kids ride their bikes around the neighborhood?

I can remember when I was young, playing was so much more fun when mom and dad were outside. I don’t know why, but it felt so important to have them watching us, even if they weren’t participating with us.

Some of our favorite outside activities — including “bat swing” — were a little off the wall. My dad made up this game with his active imagination.

The rules were simple. One person was the “bat” and everyone else had to run from it. The “bat” had to put a broom across his or her shoulders and swing their arms around the edges of it while running around and making a high-pitched humming sound.

The yard swing was the base, or safe place.

We would all go hide while the “bat” counted to 20. When the “bat” finished, it would come humming around the yard looking for the other kids. When you were spotted, you would have to make a mad dash to the swing before the “bat” could get you. If the “bat” hit you with the broom stick, you turned into the “bat.”

This game kept us laughing for many summer nights.

We also loved to play with all of the lightning bugs that flew around our house. I know it sounds cruel, but we would pull their lights off and write on the outdoor furniture. You could even make cool rings and tattoos out of their glowing tails.

Looking back, it was so much fun to be a kid in the spring and summertime.

I’m just glad that I get the chance to do it again with my kids. Maybe that’s why God gave us children, so that we could relive our childhood memories.