Thank you. I always counted myself so blessed to have this time with them. Sue At 12:11 PM 6/9/06 -0700, you wrote: >Sue, > >You should have been around for Job when he was receiving all the advice >and analyses of his problems from his three friends. He probably would >have been helped much more if he could have recounted the many good times >when God was blessing him instead of having to listen to the bad diagnosis >and indictments from his wife and friends. >My point is that the patient was being served as well as yourself in >getting them to talk while you listened; a real win-win situation. > >STAN > > >On Wednesday, June 7, 2006, at 05:58 AM, suebod wrote: > >>Amen, Jim. >> >>I began writing in 1995, shortly after my mother's first stroke and >>paralysis. It was recommended by a therapist. Back then, there was no >>such thing as care giver therapy or support groups. We just went and did, >>sometimes til we dropped. >> >>What I found most painful was the lack of friends and family to listen to >>the saga of mom's slow demise. It seemed I was the pariah of Death, >>instead of the life-helper. No matter how positive and upbeat I tried to >>be, I was greeted grimly as folks awaited the latest in the bad news. >>Hospice taught me there is a notion among some that death is contagious. >> >>Time with mom, later with my great-aunt and then my beloved aunt and >>cousin, meant long hours in hospital rooms, doctors' waiting rooms, in >>line at the pharmacy or treatment centers, or at their homes. I took my >>notebook and when they could not recall what they'd had for lunch or if >>we'd had lunch, they could recall stories of their youth, their >>grandparents, funny things. All went into the notebook. >> >>Always, they said, "I don't know why you'd want that old stuff for," or, >>"I can't remember any of that." >>"Where were you when the war was over?" brought nothing. Yet, trigger >>questions like: >>"Were you still married to John and in Whitesville when you heard the war >>was over?" brought forth an hour's detailed memories. >> >>I put the stories into the computer. Some 11 years later, I've finally >>arranged them into a semblance of time order, gotten other family >>members' recollections of the same events, and added those. My Will >>clearly states this is a work in progress and if I croak tonight, go to >>"x" document in Word, print it out and send it to [include a list]. A lot >>is semi-sensitive, but hey - I'll be gone. If it were my blood line and >>family, I'd want to know the truth. So, sue me. >> >>Luckily, a pal is literate. When I finish a chapter, I ship it to her. >>She cleans it up a tad, then stores it on a disk. If my house gets hit by >>a Katrina and takes my computer, the info is safe. As are the old family >>photos. >> >>I found by doing a time-line of events, including the births of their >>children and deaths of their parents and siblings, you can form a short >>biography of most any family member, even those you know so little of. >> >>It doesn't take rocket science to overlap history with your family. If >>Sherman's Army was marching towards Milledgeville in the fall of 1864 and >>your Jonesboro family disappeared off the map only to appear in the next >>census in Arkansas Territory - duh? >> >>A lawyer boss once told me it felt presumptuous to write of his own life. >>What a life he had to write about! So full of adventure and encounters >>with the famous and infamous. I have no fame or fortune to write of, but >>I've had my adventures, as have you. Your grandchildren will be grateful >>for the smallest, silliest stories. >> >>I've told my children tales of my childhood all their lives. Did they >>listen? Ha. Only now, as adults, do they say: Granny, tell Kit about the >>time the alligator attacked you when you were arrowhead hunting. As I >>tell it, I realize they see me now as a member of the eldest living >>generation, and they are listening also. I write for them all. >> >>Simple things now trigger my ancient memories also. My only hope now is I >>can remember the story by the time I reach the computer room, and >>remember why I was headed there! >> >>Sue >> >> >>At 09:22 PM 6/6/06 -0700, you wrote: >>>Dear Logan County Cousins, >>>I have spent this evening trying to recreate briefly the lives of my >>>following ancestors. >>> >>>=========================== >>>Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the >>>areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. >>>Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx >> >> >> >>============================== >>View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find >>marriage announcements and more. Learn more: >>http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx > > >============================== >Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. >New content added every business day. Learn more: >http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx