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Hope and hilarity
By Chuck Terrill
Last Updated: January 15, 2015

Being together is what counts

Life is made out of memories; some good and some not so good. With the blessing of the Lord, the good memories can outweigh the bad ones. I am fortunate to have so many nice memories. Good memories are mostly generated from the nice people we know, and I've been blessed there, too.

I remember when my father would take us for a ride, sometimes, on Sunday. When I was growing up, it was one of the big treats of the week.

My mom was a work-at-home mom and during the week she never went anywhere. We only had one car, and daddy drove it to work. Mom seldom got out of the house except to hang the wash on the line or walk to Nitcher's Grocery Store to get a brown paper bag full of groceries.

With four young children in the house, mom was desperate to go anywhere. "Charles," she would say, "can't we at least go for a ride?" We couldn't go to Disneyland, but we could go for a ride!

I was the oldest son, so dad and I would wash the car in the driveway and dry it with old bath towels. Then we would pile in, and take a leisurely drive.

If we went north on old Highway 81, I knew we would eventually arrive at A-1 Root Beer in Newton. What a treat it was to get a frosted, heavy glass mug of root beer for a nickel!

If we drove south and hit Arkansas Street, I knew that we would arrive at the Dairy Queen just north of 21st North. Ice cream cones were a dime, and they were a special treat, too!

After all of these years, going for a ride is the last thing I would think of doing on a Sunday afternoon. But if I were to suggest to my wife that a special date was a short car trip to a carry-out place, she would be content as long as we were together. Though times have changed, I believe that our grandchildren would be happy with a mug of root beer or a soft-serve ice cream cone, as long as we did it together. What I discovered as a boy I still believe today: sometimes, the trip is more important than the destination.

Being together is what counts. It doesn't take a lot of cash to have some great memories. Loving and laughing together is life at its best. Enjoy the ride.

Chuck Terrill is pastor of Valley Center Christian Church. He can be reached at chuck@valleycenterchristianchurch.org or 755-1233.




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