Years of Wonder

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With Benjamin living with us for a while after his accident, we began watching all the episodes of "The Wonder Years" in the evenings.  Most nights we would watch two episodes, back to back.  If you've never seen it, it was a show that aired for about 6 years, beginning in 1988.  The show was a coming of age show about a boy named Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) who was growing up in the late 60's and early 70's.

The writing was absolutely fantastic and there were so many nostalgic moments in each episode that reminded you of what it was like growing up in that time.  At times you would laugh and other times the show would choke you up.  We recently finished the last episode.  The writers closed the final episode with the following narration:

"Growing up happens in a heartbeat.  One day you're in diapers, the next day, you're gone.  But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul.  I remember a place, a town, a house like a lot of houses.  A yard like a lot of yards.  On a street like a lot of other streets.  And the thing is, after all these years, I still look back with wonder."

The protagonist (Kevin) grew up in the suburbs and had a group of friends that he ran around with and a girlfriend, Winnie.  His Dad worked an office job and his mom was a stay at home mom.  The family had its share of up and downs.  Kevin and his brother (Wayne) fought like all brothers do.  They had a sister named Karen who was a flower child, was hard-headed and gave her Mom & Dad all sorts of problems, but she was loving in her own quirky way.  The family wasn't perfect - no families are.  Sometimes they had trouble communicating like all families do.  But they loved one another and stayed together through thick and thin. 

The show brought back so many memories of what it was like growing up back then.  It was like Norman Rockwell with a twist.  It brought back all the goofy things we would do to keep ourselves entertained.  The freedom we had to roam around on our bikes.  The innocence of youth.  The first girlfriend.  The first job.  The first vehicle.  School, and all the excitement of sports, teachers, tests, and preparing for college.

Kevin's Dad (Jack) wasn't a warm, open, communicator, but he worked hard to provide for his family and his family knew that he loved them and would do anything for them.  Kevin's Mom (Norma) ran her household with efficiency and precision, cooking, cleaning, providing.  She was a Proverbs 31 woman.  She loved her family and sacrificed so much for their well-being.  Today, many families don't stay together.  Sadly, the nuclear family is under assault.  The show communicated that you don't have to be perfect, just a strong love for one another and commitment to relationship.

Watching that show filled me with nostalgia.  It also reminded me of how blessed I was to have a wonderful family and a Mom & Dad who gave me, my brother and my sister a wonderful childhood full of adventures.  I've tried (but not always succeeded) to create the same "incubator" for my kids.  The years growing up in the small town I grew up in provided me with a good foundation and made me who I am today (the good, the bad, and the ugly).  I look back on those years fondly, with a whole lot of good memories.  They were the wonder years, indeed.