Vacation Update

Just a quick update on our mountain vacation and how Mom is doing at home on her own.

The family and friends arrived Saturday in fine shape. It has been rather chaotic at times but absolutely wonderful. My daughter-in-law and her friend have taken over the kitchen and except for minor contributions on my part, I am totally immersed in getting to know my small granddaughter. What a joy it is to hold her and receive the smiles that are new to her and a vivid reminder of those of her father when he was a baby. Nothing can change the memories I hold in my heart of my children when they were young. I find myself repeating stories to anyone who will listen of their antics and tender moments.

Sometime in each day,I touch base with my mother to assure myself all is well. After babysitting my granddaughter this afternoon while the younger adults went out, I found myself comparing things my mother had told me with the thoughts and feelings I have on this vacation. We're not so different in the way we feel at certain times in our lives. My mother loves to hear the details of this trip and all the things going on. The only difference is whether she will remember what I've reported. But then, who's to say that the memories that live in my heart will be in my mind when I am 85? Here's hoping.

One last note; I've been having rather iffy signals on my computer. So if I am out of touch for a few days, I will be back when I'm able! Thanks for following my blog.

Memories

My mother seems to spend a lot of time reminiscing about the past. Some of it is self induced, yet at other times, I admit I've asked her to share a story. She loves to talk about her family and their descendants and my father and his history.

We all struggle to know ourselves, and a large part of doing this is in knowing our family's past. Seniors are our most valuable source of untapped resources this country has, and when one shares a story, history comes alive. The smallest things can make interesting stories. Looking at a photograph of my grandmother holding my mother on her lap, I wondered how she felt in that long black dress, buttoned high on her neck with ruffles and long sleeves, the style of dressing in her day. Oh! And laced into a corset all day, everyday! And how did she fix her hair that way? And how did grandpa make money back then? So many questions and my mother is the only one left who can answer them.

There are many ways to go about recording the history of your family. Physically writing down the details as the seniors speak is one way. Using a voice recorder is another, then transcribing the stories. A video recording is a wonderful way to record not only the story but a photo of the family member who is speaking. I can't think of a better gift for the family than to hear about their past through the memories of the seniors in the family. Do it before time runs out. I intend to and I'll let you know how it goes.