Standing at the precipice of Fort Boreman Park in Parkersburg, WV, I watched the sunset over the mighty Ohio River. It felt as if time stood still yet the sinking sun reminded me that the day was slowly coming to a close. There are moments where I wish I could hit the pause button on life so I can bask in that wondrous moment for one second longer. Belpre, Ohio to my right and Downtown Parkersburg, WV on my left, I couldn't help but to feel on top of the world for just one fleeting moment. I watched the barges make their way up river, wondering about their journey. Here, I felt that sense of freedom I find myself yearning for as I run the rat race. Here, I am reminded that this is what truly matters: those fleeting moments of peace. |
It's true. Ohio stole my heart. There's something about this muddy water river, the history, and the small town feel driving through most of the state. Southeast Ohio is where I call home these days, in the Mid-Ohio Valley, just across the river from West-by God-Virginia. I have not yet grown tired of this beautiful place, and I have to admit that I have not even begun to experience all this area has to offer. We may be in one of the poorest parts of the country, but we are rich in history and beauty. Just a short way up the river is Marietta, Ohio. The first organized settlement of the Northwest Territory, county seat of Washington County, birthplace of my husband, and home to the Ohio Sternwheel Festival. It is one of the most beautiful small towns I have visited, with a lively downtown and plenty to entertain history buffs, ghost hunters, and antique shoppers alike. As I sit here typing this I am taken back to when I sat by my great-grandmother's bed shortly before she passed away in 2008. I had moved away from my Virginia home just a year prior, and though I was homesick, I wished I could share my new home with my family. I remember reading to her at her at her bedside, feeding her ice chips, rubbing lotion on her cracked feet, and telling her all about my new home and how happy I was. That was all she ever wanted for any of us...happiness. She couldn't respond much in those final days, but I know she was there and hanging on to every word. I promised to send her pictures when I returned home. I never got the chance. She passed away a short 12 hours after I returned to Ohio. Through my grief I took solace in the idea that at least now she got to see where I call home, because she is with me always. The same goes for my grandfather who left us just this past May. I always wanted to share this place with him. Every time I would call he would jokingly ask me to "say something in Ohio!" as if I was in a foreign country (and to us Southerners, it may as well be!). I would laugh and tell him all about "pop" and "sacks" and "sweepers." He would chuckle and hand the phone to my grandmother. That man loved to travel and it was hard to watch him deteriorate over the past six years and be unable to do the things he loved. In his passing I am reminded to never take one single day for granted. We can't take all the material things with us to the grave, but we can certainly live life to its fullest and create amazing memories with those we love that will last forever. I miss him every single day, but I carry on his lust for life.
2 Comments
Teresa Starkey
8/13/2014 01:49:26 pm
WOW!!! Good Stuff Kristina!! There's a place on Quincy st. That I sought out at times when things got so twisted at times I found taking my next breath a challenge I could go there and look out atop everything and found a sense of peace! The view reminds me of a story book that I don't recall ever reading! !! Ty hadn't even thought of that in such a long time!! And I've never shared this with anyone!
Reply
Kristina
8/14/2014 12:32:00 am
Thanks Teresa! I love going up to Quincy Park as well. I have some beautiful pictures from up there. I will have to share them sometime.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Kristina M. Canfield
Storyteller. Photography enthusiast. Loves the color Green. General crazy person. Archives
November 2014
Categories
All
|