I am asked often if I keep my stories written down, and the other day as I was buying note cards, the owner commented that it was nice to see that people still wrote notes. As I sit here with my tablet, writing with ease with todays technology, a memory awoke. Over 10 years ago, my last Grandparent passed away. She would have been 107 this year. After her death, my uncle asked me to go to her house, and collect some of the papers, and that I might find some pictures stashed away. Her house had been locked up after she had moved up north, and as many old abandoned homes down old gravel roads become...I found a mess! The driveway as well as the yard and barnlot had been reclaimed by mother nature. It was like walking through a jungle as I made my way through vines and saplings to the front door. We had keys to get in the door, but could have entered a few of the vandalized windows just as well. With trash bags in hand, my uncle and I started filling the bags with old letters, newspapers, etc. And the whole time keeping a watchful eye for vermin, varmits, and flying winged biters and stingers! My Grandmother was a hoarder, before the definition became famous by reality shows. By the time we were finished, we had filled the back of the truck bed with trash...or so I thought. I kept the bags in the shed until I found time to go through the crammed packed bags. For months, I opened, sorted, and organized a lifetime of memories. I found a few pictures, but the treasures found were the words written in those envelopes. She had saved every letter and card she had received for over 60 years. The house was built in 52 after they had lost their prior home to a fire when my mother was a child. I was amazed at the information in those letters, and wondered why her own children would start a letter with... Mother, we had a big bouncing boy/girl today! Then there were those that informed of a death or illness. It didnt occur to me for a while that this was their only form of communication. Those months led to a year. I was able to write down stories, confirm family members births, deaths, and events for my Genealogy files, and just basically understand my grandmother quirky ways! We had a family reunion the year following her death, and I was able to compile a large envelope for each of her children, with the original letters they had sent her throughout the years. They spent the biggest part of that day, reading and sharing their lives with each other through those old letters. So... as you go through the days, with the technology of the texts, IMs and emails...maybe try grabbing a notecard/paper and pen, and stick a stamp... who knows, maybe someone might be reading it 50 or 60 years down the line! ;)
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 16:21:13 +0000
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