Mint Julips and Memories

It's the first weekend of May and that means it is time for the Kentucky Derby, held the first Saturday in May.

No matter where I am, I pause on that Saturday at 5 p.m. and lift my silver mint julip glass, a gift from my now-deceased friend, Tony Miller. The glass may be filled with a soft drink or an alcoholic one, but lifting that glass is a toast to the memories of my college and career days in Kentucky and the friends I made there.

Funny how we can so easily grieve the loss of a place, isn't it? It isn't a human being, but a place imprints itself in our memory, offering a treasure chest of moments that we can pull out and share at any time.

I give thanks for my Kentucky days and for being my dad's Southern Belle as a little girl growing up in Virgina and Tennessee. All of these places formed me and shaped me into the person I am now.

My Louisville friends did the same and I love the sights and sounds that contributed to who I am today.

So join me on Saturday in toasting a favorite place of yours. It may not be My 'Ole Kentucky Home, but I bet you have a special spot you often miss.

Here's to all that made you the "you" people love.