Relationship

Saving Grandma’s Stories

There I sat: in such a familiar and comfortable place; where I sat as a kid, eating spam and pickled bread and butter. (Seriously.) It’s a place where my family had gathered for so many happy moments: my grandmother’s dining room table. It is a surreal feeling to be so close to your childhood, but further away than ever. I thought about time, family, and growth as I watched my children play with the same toys as me. I loved my Grammy as a child, but becoming a mother gave me a deeper appreciation for her. If anyone knows about child rearing, it is this woman. She was five and raised hundreds of children of all ages throughout her life – she loved every minute of it. Gram is a wealth of knowledge and understanding. It is also a great source of humor.

We were laughing, she raised her hand and said: “Oh Jessica, I have so many stories. Did I ever tell you about the time your uncle shot himself in the hand with a compressed air pistol? ” I realized that it has many stories good ones. The conversations about children and parenting are fun and inspiring. I also really like when he talks about his life growing up: it was a world that fascinates me, and a time for which I feel nostalgic, although I did not yet exist.

I wanted to write these memories and anecdotes. – Something we could share with the whole family. We may forget that that cousin so-and-so wrote (misspelled) curse words on the wall of the house. We may forget the lyrics to the songs his mother sang …

What if grandma doesn’t want to write a book??

You know that lady loves to talk !! Ask permission to turn on the voice recorder on your phone – and let it talk. (I mean Grandparents too – only this time it was Grammy who inspired the idea).

You now have a piece of personal family history that can be heard for generations. You can even have it transcribed, so you can edit it however you want. It can be a good gift for everyone at Christmas or an important birthday.

* Please note that you may want to have speakers’ permission to ‘post’ your words, even if it is only published as a family newsletter. Make sure they let you know which conversations, for whatever reason, are not for everyone’s ears. **

This is what went through my mind that afternoon, sitting and chatting with my grandmother. We laugh; I learn and try to prevent my two daughters from destroying the place; and i love every minute.

What is one of your family’s favorite old-time tales?

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