It feels like it was just yesterday when Emil and I were frantically begging Grandma to go with us to the rusty old swing set which stood out back in their beautiful yard. All we wanted to do was go play on our favorite swing set, and that feeling of running through the green, tall grass as fast as we could was like no other.

“Of course we can go out back to the swing set!” Grandma joyfully replied. Our high pitched screams of pure excitement reverberated off the kitchen walls and spilled into the yard as we sprinted. As we ran, all you could hear was the grass being stomped under our ever-so-little feet. Grandma Pfeffer had a special trick for that old slide. She would always bring the container of wax paper with her when we headed to the swing. That ripping sound of the wax paper signified that it was time to go down the slide. We would put a piece of clear wax paper under our butts, because made us go enchantingly fast down the slide, which was occupied with rust. Something so old felt so new. 

At first, Emil and I would climb up all of those gray steps to get to the top of the shiny, silver slide. Emil would sit down first and I would wait at the top for my turn when he went down. There was a maple tree that stood at the very bottom of the slide and at first when I slid down, I was scared that I was going to run into it. However, as soon as I saw that Emil went down and didn’t hit the tree, I was assured that I wouldn’t either. After tiring out that slide, we’d resort to the swings.

Those swings were magic—old and rusty, but magic nonetheless and more than sufficient for our little bodies. The very best thing about going on the swings was the song that Grandma would sing to us. It started with, “How would you like to go up in a swing…” To this very day, I can recite that song almost effortlessly.

Looking back to those days when all we wanted was to play on that swing set in the back yard of our grandparents’  house, I realize that it’s usually the little things in life that bring joy to each and every one of us.