I remember hearing stories about the good old days when I was a child. My grandmother would talk about riding a horse and buggy to town every Sunday for church and spending the rest of the day with relatives.

There were no telephones, no washing machines, dishwashers, televisions or modern conveniences, but there were still good times. Now, as a grandmother myself, I look back at the days of my youth as the good old days.

My family didn’t own a car until I was 17. We went everywhere on the street car or we walked. Family was still important, even though we didn’t see them every week. There were enormous family reunions at least once a year and I spent most of my summers with my grandparents on their farm. We listened to the radio until I was ten, when we acquired our first TV; a huge console model with an 8” screen (slight exaggeration.)

We had a phone with a party line and found it fun to listen in on others’ conversations. We played in the dirt and didn’t use hand sanitizer. We drank out of the same drinking glass. We never wore seat belts. We saved our money until we had enough to buy something we really wanted. Women were treated with respect – not as competitors. We made our own toys out of old cardboard boxes. We hung sheets up in the backyard and put on plays for the neighbors as entertainment instead of playing games on a little box. I know there are a lot of things to be thankful for in this modern age, but there will never be anything like the “good old days.”

Someday our children will be telling their kids about their own good old days.  I pray that they’re busy making good memories to share with the future generations  We can learn much from our past.