The time had come to replace the old swing that had been on the family porch for the past 30 years. It had become rusted and worn, and the numerous coats of paint that had been added over the years had only served as a camouflage to cover the defects that could no longer be hidden.
Reluctantly, Joe called the man from the scrap yard to remove the swing to make way for the brand new one that was going to be delivered that same day.
It was with a heavy heart that he made the call, for he could still recall the many evenings he had spent on that swing as a young boy, where grandpa would tell him stories of his younger days on the farm.
It was also here that he would sit on Mum’s lap whenever he had hurt himself or was sad, and with a gentle “There, there,” as the swing rocked back and forth, that he would be comforted in the loving embrace of his mother. And it was on that same swing where his father would sit with him and teach Joe about being a good person, learning valuable life lessons from his greatest teacher and mentor.
And it was not so many years ago that he had sat on that same swing with his high school sweetheart, Jenny, where they fell in love and where he finally plucked up the courage to propose to her.
Such memories, all the times he had spent on that swing, soon to be taken away. Watching the swing being loaded on the back of the truck, he gave out a heavy sigh. The new swing was delivered within minutes of the old one being carted away and in no time, the new swing was assembled and ready to go.
Joe was still thinking about the old swing and all the memories that had gone with it when his youngest son, Nathan, came running out of the house shouting, “It’s here. The new swing is here!” and promptly jumped on it and started swinging away, squealing with laughter.
It was not long before his sister Natalie came to join him and both of them were having great fun on the new swing.
It was then that Joe realized that the memories he had would stay with him. He had not lost them with the old swing for the memories were in his heart, forever.
And there on the new swing, he would continue to create new memories of the great times he would share with Jenny, Natalie and Nathan over the coming days, months and years.
This is another story that is taken from my book ENGAGE: The Parable of the Pencil & other Empowering Stories which is now available in major bookstores in Malaysia. Thank you Kit for the story.