Colleen, Had to say that I thought this was beautifully written! > THE PICTURE > > I've been working on my second book behind the scenes here... the one > for my mother's side. Momma gave me an old, old photo album last July > that she had tucked away in a box in the top of her closet. She pointed > out the picture of a young woman to me... one wearing a long dress, her > hair in a pouf-bun high on her head. It was my grandmother in her > twenties and it was her engagement picture. She looked so young and > pretty... not at all the way I recalled her aged appearance as a child. > I didn't think about Grandma (born in 1890) ever being young then, and > never did... not until Momma pointed out that picture to me. I thought, > "She's beautiful! No wonder Grandpa married her!" She wasn't smiling, > and I wondered about that, too. > > Looking at Grandma's picture makes me wonder more about what she was > like. Oh, I have all her vitals... her birth and death dates, her > marriage date... all the places. I have a copy of her will and I know > many of the organizations she belonged to. But what was she _really_ > like? Did she march through Detroit for women's right to vote? Did she > know how to do the popular dances of the 1920's. Was she always as > "starchy" as I felt she was when I was a child? I remember Grandma's > laughter... I also remember her as being strict ~ and a fabulous cook! > But what were her beliefs? Getting past the superficial layers, what > was she like as a person?... a vibrant young woman? > > As a military brat, I didn't have benefit of knowing Grandma as well as > I might have if my dad had chosen a civilian career. My memories and > limited knowledge of Grandma will hardly do justice to the "real" her. > I think about things like that as I work on the narratives for the > people in my heritage. This one side is full German... the very country > I've come to love after living there so many times. Why didn't I take > the time to appreciate everything more about Germany and Momma's side of > the family when I was there? It's too late now. However, it may not be > for you. > > Are your grandparents still alive? What about your great aunts and > uncles? Do you take the time to really "hear" their stories of their > youth, or will you one day look at the pictures and think to yourself, > "If only I had given him/her/them my time, and listened." Next time, > listen. Listen with your eyes, feel and sense them with your ears... > and let them touch your soul. Give them the gift of your time so they > can give you the gift of themselves. Once they're gone, you'll have not > only your documents but a wealth beyond price... the enrichment of > memories from them and of them. They are what made us. They are we and > we are them.