Back in the seventies, I was just a little kid, but one of my fondest memories was going to visit my grandparents on my mother’s side. They lived about 300 miles from us, so whenever we went there, we always stayed overnight. It was only my mom, dad, my sister and myself back then. Although the food and attention we received from our grandparents was great, one of the things I remembered and loved the most was being able to sleep in the bunk beds that they had waiting for us in one of the spare bedrooms.

Boy did we both love those beds, every other visit was my turn to sleep on the top. Weeks before we were scheduled to go, we always knew who was going to be sleeping where, and who’s turn it was last time. The waiting used to drive us crazy. I used to love just going up and down the ladder that was hanging on the side of the bed. We would also take all the blankets in the room and make a fort out of the bottom bunk.

I remember finding the bunk beds unusual because they seemed so sturdy and heavy to me, and they were painted white. The white made the beds stand out in the room which was darker, and which is why I really only remember the beds and not the room itself.

As years went by my sister become older and more interested in staying home. I really missed being together and playing on the beds. It just wasn’t the same there with just me and my parents. I would still build the fort when she wasn’t there, but I would quickly get bored and find something else to do.

As I was lying in my own metal bunk bed in college one night, I got a call from my parents that my grandfather had passed away. This moment was a sad one for me as I’m sure it was for my sister. I’m going to miss those times together.