Late Night Of Memories from the Past

It might seem weird but the show Criminal Minds has brought some interesting thoughts and memories to my mind.  I record this show on DVR and then watch it late at night after the local news is over.  It is frequently my end of the night ritual - watch Criminal Minds and then fall asleep.  About 2 months ago an episode of this show brought some really intense emotions to my mind when the lead character was talking with his child about the death of the child's mother.  The episode that I watching tonight "There's no Place Like Home" featured one of the agents struggling because she was on the road and her son was home sick.  At the end of the show her child had recovered and she was talking on the phone with him and telling him that she would be home tomorrow.  In the meantime it was the nightly ritual while she was on the road to tell him a good night story.  So her husband, the boy's father would hold the phone to his ear and she would tell him a good night story.

That reminded me of really special times when Zack was between the ages of 3 - 5.  During that time I spent most of the week in California working on a variety of projects for Silicon Valley technology companies.  Patty had stopped working by that point in time and was staying home with Zack full-time.  Since Patty always had the responsibility for Zack from Sunday night - Thursday, I would step in and take over once I got home late on Thursday night.  The big thing that I would do with him at night was do "story time".  Patty would hang out down stairs doing whatever she wanted - watching TV, talking on the phone to friends, meeting up with friends for dinner, etc. and I would take Zack up stairs and put him to bed.  By this time we had the bad habit that he would fall asleep in our bed and then I would move him to his bed once he was asleep.

So he and I would curl up in our bed and the first thing that he would do was to ask for me to tell him a story.  Now back in those days Zack's favorites were Thomas the Tank Engine and the Island of Sodor stories and Clifford the Big Red Dog.  I can't tell you how many nights I would lay there next to him create new and different stories about Thomas the Tank Engine and how Clifford came to save the Island of Sodor.  I will admit I only vaguely remember the stories that I spun for him back in those days, but I know that were fun.  I know that despite my business schedule with work and being tired from being out of town all the time - I loved that 1 hour each night in which I could spin a story that would utterly captivate him and capture his imagination.  It was so much fun.  Though our tradition of telling stories like that only lasted for a couple of years, it built within my Zackie a sense of imagination and wonderment that stays within him today.

Patty did the same thing with him and I am sure to this day that he still connects to those stories and fantasy worlds that she created for him as a young child.  Yeah - it makes me happy to remember and think of these stories.  Until I saw that episode of Criminal Minds tonight, I am sure I haven't remember those stories that I used to tell Zack in years and years.  What a great, happy memory for me to think of as I prepare for sleep.  I am sure I will fall asleep with a smile on my face tonight.

Thanks and peace to all! ~J,

I hope you all rest well and can remember some fantastic memories the way I did!  And Happy Easter!!

PS - I have come back and edited this post as I first wrote it late last night as I lay on the couch falling asleep.  You could tell I was practically sleep writing with the number of grammatical mistakes I had in the original post.