Who Are You?
Each week I look forward to date night which typically happens on Friday night. This Friday night was particularly exciting because my spouse and I were planning on spending time with some of my friends I met while serving an LDS mission in Texas. Earlier that week my Grandfather had gone into the hospital with some chest pains...nothing major. Friday morning I felt a strong urge that we should go and visit him in the ICU.
At first I ignored the urge because of our date night plans but after I couldn't shake the feeling I knew we had to go. Our date night turned into a very special and final visit with my Grandpa. Seeing him so ill was challenging. It was as if I could see the life slipping away as we spoke. He passed away several hours later surrounded by a few of his daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a blessed man.
His passing caused me to reflect on the importance of one person's legacy. My grandpa may have passed on to the next life but his legacy lives on through his five daughters and 21 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. More importantly his legacy lives on in the memories he made with us and the stories he shared of his childhood.
This photo was one of the last photos I took with my Grandpa. His favorite thing to do was rub his scratchy beard on my cheek and say *nuggle nuggle* and sing me 'kkkkkkKatie...kkkkkKatie.....you're the only one that I aaaaaadoooooree....' I loved it every time. Those memories are special to me. Don't forget the twinner dimples in our chins. That I'm pretty sure lives on through most of his kids, grandkid and great grandkids.
Often times we forget that our parents and grandparents really were young before they grew old. They have vast volumes of stories, knowledge and wisdom to share with anyone who wants to hear.
A few weeks before my grandpa's passing I was able to sit with him and type a few stories as he dictated them to me. The experience was amazing. I could see him previewing his life and recounting the stories as if they had happened yesterday. He told stories from his younger years getting into mischief with his cousin and playing with guns (who I was fortunate enough to meet at my Grandpa's viewing). He shared a story of his mother listening to a prompting from the Holy Ghost that actually saved his life. He spoke of his teenage years and his interest in girls. He spoke of his college and military years. He spoke of how he met my sweet grandma and a little about their courtship.
Each story was so special to him. Since that day and especially after his passing I asked myself why he chose the stories he chose. In 87 years of life why would he choose to tell me about the time Doris Day kissed him on the cheek? Or the time he took $10.00 from his grandma and split it with his buddy only to have to return his gun holster and hat he purchased with the money?
WHY?
Because it is relatable. Because his listeners can learn from his experiences. Because the experiences made him who he was and have therefore made me who I am. Because the key to unlocking who you are is knowing where you came from.
At first I ignored the urge because of our date night plans but after I couldn't shake the feeling I knew we had to go. Our date night turned into a very special and final visit with my Grandpa. Seeing him so ill was challenging. It was as if I could see the life slipping away as we spoke. He passed away several hours later surrounded by a few of his daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a blessed man.
His passing caused me to reflect on the importance of one person's legacy. My grandpa may have passed on to the next life but his legacy lives on through his five daughters and 21 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren. More importantly his legacy lives on in the memories he made with us and the stories he shared of his childhood.
This photo was one of the last photos I took with my Grandpa. His favorite thing to do was rub his scratchy beard on my cheek and say *nuggle nuggle* and sing me 'kkkkkkKatie...kkkkkKatie.....you're the only one that I aaaaaadoooooree....' I loved it every time. Those memories are special to me. Don't forget the twinner dimples in our chins. That I'm pretty sure lives on through most of his kids, grandkid and great grandkids.
Often times we forget that our parents and grandparents really were young before they grew old. They have vast volumes of stories, knowledge and wisdom to share with anyone who wants to hear.
A few weeks before my grandpa's passing I was able to sit with him and type a few stories as he dictated them to me. The experience was amazing. I could see him previewing his life and recounting the stories as if they had happened yesterday. He told stories from his younger years getting into mischief with his cousin and playing with guns (who I was fortunate enough to meet at my Grandpa's viewing). He shared a story of his mother listening to a prompting from the Holy Ghost that actually saved his life. He spoke of his teenage years and his interest in girls. He spoke of his college and military years. He spoke of how he met my sweet grandma and a little about their courtship.
Each story was so special to him. Since that day and especially after his passing I asked myself why he chose the stories he chose. In 87 years of life why would he choose to tell me about the time Doris Day kissed him on the cheek? Or the time he took $10.00 from his grandma and split it with his buddy only to have to return his gun holster and hat he purchased with the money?
WHY?
Because it is relatable. Because his listeners can learn from his experiences. Because the experiences made him who he was and have therefore made me who I am. Because the key to unlocking who you are is knowing where you came from.
Our ancestors impact us more than we realize. At my Grandpa's veiwing, there were several photo albums that I hadn't seen before. As I looked through each page I could see images of my siblings and cousins through the faces of my mom and her sisters. I could see personality traits from my grandparents that run through now to my kids and my nieces and nephews.
Most of all, I could see family.
As a fairly new mother and homemaker, I like to think of my parents and grandparents as new mothers and fathers. It helps me on the hard days to remember that my kids won't be little forever and that someone before me dealt with the challenges of motherhood. I only wish that more of the stories were written down. If you don't keep a journal, DO IT! Someone in future years will find value from what you write.
As a Christmas gift a couple of years ago, I gave my parents a journal and 52 journal prompts from familysearch.org to encourage them to keep a journal. You can find the 52 week challenge here. I hope that they can fill those pages with treasures that will carry on through generations to come. They raised seven children so surely they have some great insights.
My Grandma, on my dad's side, loves to share stories of when my dad was younger and I can see his strong personality expressed in my children. She also loves to share photos of her parents, siblings and of me and my cousins when we were younger. I hope to take advanatage of these opportunities more frequently so I can share my heritage with my children.
My husband's family is from South Carolina and I know he has a rich heritage. It is a personal goal of mine to learn more about who he is and where he came from. My kids are literally a spitting image of my husband. Of the stories I have heard, their personalities are also a spitting image. So, if anyone reading this on his side of the family has any stories, photos or ancestry to share...please do!
I feel so blessed to be part of something greater than me. This experience truly did change something inside of me. Not only did I realize that I am a combination of who my parents and their parents and ancestors are but I also realized that my kids are made of me and my spouse and our ancestors.
As I work to develop my nest, I am committed to learning from those who have successfully fulfilled their roles as homemakers and parents.
To help me with that, I want to know:
1. Do you keep a journal?
2. Are there any stories in your family history that you feel have shaped you?
3. What did you do as a young father or mother (or what do you do as a young father or mother) to make your house a home?
Comment and share below.
Thanks for reading!
Comments
Post a Comment