Jill Broyles: Make lasting memories in these lazy days of summer

​Ask almost any kid and most teachers what their favorite season is; the overwhelming response will probably be "SUMMER!"

Moms and dads may be a little less enthusiastic!

With warmer and lazier days ahead, summer is one of the most magical seasons of the year. Running through the sprinklers, sleeping in a backyard tent, at least for a few hours, listening for the ice cream truck, and going to an amusement park​ — all favorite summer adventures.

When I think of summer, I travel back in time to my childhood in the 1960s and 1970s.​​

Our family of five grew up on Olive Street in the Montclair neighborhood of east Denver. Richthofen Castle, a historic 35-room mansion, stood at the south end of the block.

Our street was lined with 16 houses of various styles; eight with children and eight without. Of the nine girls who lived on our block, I was the only one who attended public school; the rest attended parochial schools. I went to Montclair School, Montclair Church and played in Montclair Park.

We moved into our home in 1959 when I was ​4 years old. I have a brother, Mark, who was ​6 at the time and another brother, Jay, who was just ​1. We had a big fenced backyard with lovely lilac bushes, and a small black and white fox terrier named Benny who barked a lot and was known to bite. Fox terriers play rough, and children's high-pitched voices and their tendency to run can make them look like prey. Thankfully, we all survived, especially young Jay.

We lived next door to the rectory for the Catholic Church. The priests hit plastic golf balls from their roof into our backyard, then jumped the fence to retrieve their golf balls. It was a mad dash back to the fence to avoid getting nipped on their pant legs by Benny.

The backyard was a great place to play croquet, Jarts, badminton and catch. I miss playing catch with my dad. We were a pretty good team.

Most of the neighborhood kids played kickball or "kick the can" in our yard, and at night, we played hide-n-seek until everyone got tired or scared. The streetlights attracted mosquito​e​s and gnats, and in the darkening sky we could see bats and birds of the night, as well as hear the chirping of crickets. If we were lucky, we might see an owl searching for prey.

Taking a road trip or having company was always a part of our summer.

One early memory I have is of a visit from my 82-year-​old grandmother from Omaha. She was a bit senile at the time but was a delightful Swedish woman with a beautiful smile and the prettiest blue eyes.

When we brought her into the house, she stood at the end of a long hallway and saw another lady in a blue-print dress with black shoes and white hair. As she walked down the hall, the lady approached her and they waved at one another. As she passed the woman​ ​she said "My, wasn't she friendly​,​" not realizing that she had been looking at herself in a full-length mirror at the other end of the hall the whole time!

Life is like a mirror. We get the best results when we smile.

Time passed quickly with swimming lessons, baseball games​ ​and trips to the zoo. We enjoyed scout camp, ​Bible school and going to the cabin. We had fun competing in board games and cards, and hanging out with neighborhood kids and church youth groups. I loved going to drive-in movies and had fun roller skating, riding my unicycle​ and walking on homemade stilts.

I guess all good things come to an end. We sold the house on Olive Street in 2008 after my dad passed away. It was hard to say goodbye, but we still have memories to embrace.

The house has been sold twice since then and has been replaced by two very modern, vertical, high-priced homes. It is hard to even visualize where our house and yard were located for over 60 years.

Human beings are meaning-makers​.​ I know I am!

Nostalgia provides us with the perfect means by which to reflect on the past and draw meaning from our experiences. Being grateful makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates dreams for tomorrow.

I am flooded with memories of my childhood, spent in the shadow of the castle at the end of the block.

Please enjoy your family, friends, and neighbors this season as we "Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!"

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