Especially Jerry and his wife. I can't remember her name, but I spent a lot of time with those two. They might have passed on by now...I really don't know. I lived next door to this older couple when I was born-3 years old. I remember Jerry vividly. I remember spending a lot of time with him. I don't remember his wife well. I would often sneak off from my mom when I was little. Up until about 12 years old. I wouldn't say a word, I would just disappear. I would go to visit my neighbors and friends and be back a few hours later. By the time I was 5 my mom no longer freaked out. She would just call our closest neighbors and ask if I was with them and then wait for me to come home. Jerry and his wife were always welcoming to my little toddler self coming to their house unannounced. I think it's because they missed their own kids. Anyways, I used to go over there almost every day. I would go inside and sit on the floor while I watched Jerry roll his cigarettes and put them in a tin for later. He'd then pull out drawings of people in various yoga poses and start to do them. I always tried to imitate him, usually failing, but he was always kind in telling me how I could change it to get it right. He taught me about the third eye, meditation, breathing calmly, and taking moments to myself. His wife would bring out cookies or some other kind of snack, and we would all eat. Then it was out to the garden. His garden was huge. His wife had her quarter filled with beautiful flowers. The rest were fruits and vegetables. I'd help out a little in the garden and head back home. Everyday went on pretty much the same. I remember other times when things were different. Like when we would clean the basement or the attic instead of going into the garden. I was scared of his basement because of the furnace he had there. I thought he had a dragon living there. The attic was filled with statues bringing good luck, peace, wealth, happiness, and other things. He taught me about a lot of them. When we moved I hated it. Years later, when I was 9- 11 years old, I went back. His house was a lot smaller. His garden was a lot smaller. Although I suppose that had more to do with me than with anything he did. He picked up with the yoga right where we had left it. And this time when we went out to the garden he took me to the very back. He taught me how to shoot a bow&arrow and how to throw knives. He had a large hill in his backyard and he was too old to climb it anymore, but he invited my cousins and I to do so. We claimed it as our own. We put a flag at the top (a piece of a dishcloth with sharpie on it), and we dubbed it "Sugar Mountain" because of how the dirt resembled red sugar more than actual dirt. It took me weeks to find a path to the very top. Everyday I worked harder to get there. I remember sitting at the very top when I finally made it. I looked down and could see Jerry in the garden. I whistled to him and waved when he looked up. He gave me a thumbs up and motioned for me to come down. When I did, there were sugar cookies and milk waiting. Then another yoga lesson. I was thinking about Jerry and his wife today. I really miss them...I miss how simple their life was. I miss how they treated me like I was another one of them. I miss how their love for each other shone and grew day by day. I miss the little things of childhood.