Many of you have asked where in the world I've been.

All I know is that after 7 plus years of blogging and a different lappy, which I don’t like, I seem to have lost my blogging fervor.

Someday, when you least expect it, I will post again.

For those of you still waiting I say thank you.

Meanwhile, I am rather prolific on twitter. Find me: @KeethaB
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The Eclectic Company - Waitin' on a New Adventure!!
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Monday, January 17, 2011

Of Bottles, Boys, and Blessings

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I have this little Coke bottle on a shelf in my kitchen. I've had it for more than 20 years. It is the size of coke that cost 5 cents when I was a child. It is chipped, nicked, and scratched. Still, it managed to survive the "purging" I went through when we made our recent move.

I'm not exactly sure WHY I kept it all these years. I'm sure its condition renders it nearly valueless.

But to me it is priceless for it has a story to tell - - -


When our oldest son Kelly, shown here about to put his little sister out of her misery forever, was 11 or 12 he had a friend named Stephen that used to spend long hours at our house.

On several of those occasions, the two boys rode their bikes a few blocks to the River Greenway. At FIRST I thought they were simply riding their bikes. When they came home all muddy and wet, I realized there had been more of river and less of greenway in their afternoon.

I thought nothing of it other than boys would be boys and the call of the wild and the water was more than they could resist. Muddy clothes could be washed. I gave them stern warnings to be very careful to stay in shallow water.

Soon, they began to bring home "treasures" from their river visits, treasures they dug out of the muck in the river bed - - - stones, broken glass, and bottles. My little green coke bottle is one of those treasures. I have NO IDEA what happened to the REST of their collection, but I liked this bottle and kept it.

Roll old man time forward 20 years.

Kelly is now an adult, is about to bless us with our first daughter-in-law, and is still fascinated with water, boats and bottles. Together. At the same time. His boat on the water, and I'll let you guess about the rest.

He safely navigated and survived the "water" of all the years of his adolescence.

His older sister, the mother of our wonderful grans, still lives in the same town with that river, that mucky river bed, and that greenway. Her husband is a policeman there.

A few months ago, the police were called to that river bank. Not to the exact spot where Kelly and his friend Stephen spent so many happy hours - - - a little farther down under "the bridge." Seems some OTHER children had found the allure of the river irresistible, only with tragic results. Two of them fell into a hole and drowned.

The MOMENT I heard that news, my mind flew back to two tousled, blond-headed boys who somehow managed to escape that fate, and to the mother who allowed them to play at that river.


Now the coke bottle takes on more meaning than ever. It is a reminder of the protection, care, and blessing that were given to two young boys by a guardian angel when neither they nor their mama realized they were even in need.

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16 comments:

Tonja said...

Boys will be boys! And, the dirtier they are the happier they are! There was a little creek at the end of our block and oh what fun it was to play there! Never understood it...but they did, and they loved it.

So sorry about the 2 that died...how sad. It's probably a good thing we don't know how many times their angels have saved them...or we wouldn't even let them out of our sight!

Keri said...

What a wonderful post. I love this! And I am also thankful he was being protected...because I love that brother of mine. :)

Theresa said...

I have some of those green bottles too, one was made in a little town near me:) I am sorry to hear about those two young lives lost! Danger is lurking all around us!

I am happy that your boys were safe as youngsters and are adults making lives of their own! Hope you are having a blessed day, HUGS!

Jojo said...

The blessings of the guardian angels. I know that your prayers for your children added to the blessings. That green bottle is a great reminder to count your blessings. Great post.

ain't for city gals said...

You know Keetha..we just get lucky every now and then...I have never known how a parent survives something like this...

Debby@Just Breathe said...

I am so thankful for the times God watched over my children too. I know when I was young we played in the woods yet I remember one girl years later who was not so lucky.
We must always count our blessing.
I love your coke bottle.

Brenda said...

Having something tangible to remind us of how grateful and blessed we are is a neat thing. It helps keep things in perspective.
When we were at my sister's last year, her and I would take Myrtle down to the river and I was facinated with the river/beach glass. I also started collecting shards of china that I'd find. Cheap thrills!

Unknown said...

We will never know all the stuff that 'could have' happened to us and I am so glad!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I know Guardian Angels protected my children as they grew and I hope still do. Great post Keetha...we never know do we! hugs, Linda

From the Kitchen said...

Amazing how our adult children can still give us pause for concern over what they did decades before!

I love the guardian angel photo. It's very similar to one that hung over the bed where I slept when I visited my great grandmother as a child. Very comforting!

Best,
Bonnie

nancygrayce said...

Sorry for the boys that didn't make it....glad yours did! I so well remember those bottles. Growing up in a large family, cokes were not an everyday treat at our house. But my dad's shop was next to the coke plant and every now and again, one of the coke men would walk over and give daddy a case of little cokes to take home to us. When we saw them, we whooped and hollered because we knew we were having a treat that night!

lilmomma said...

Ahh, hindsight is 20/20 they say. Thank goodness, God can see the things we can't! It seems we don;t realize just how blessed we are till something gives us that reality check!

grammy said...

You are just like me, so blessed to have such wonderful kids and kids-in-law, except I am double blessed with grandskids-in-law too!!!

I'm curious, where was coke bottled?

Lady Jane said...

WOW, what a story!!! I'd keep that durntootin bottle also! My son had some close calls way back then and now. Do they ever grow up???

Terra said...

Sweet post about guardian angels, a coke bottle and boys. I grew up in Wisconsin, live in California and like the snow photos in your more recent post. Go Packers!

Angie said...

Chips an'all, far from being valueless, your coke bottle is priceless!