Where did your parents/grandparents meet?
My Grandmother met Grandfather when he stopped at the family well to water his horse, she was just 15, & he was such a charmer she fell head over heals for 'her George'. Of course, her parents refused to allow them to marry until she turned 18.
Our mother married her first husband at 13! He was the youngest brother of her new step-mother, and a cowboy! Can you imagine her delight when her pa decided to get them married? I have a photo just a few days after their wedding and she is looking much older than 13, and so very happy! Young Love!
Of course, after giving birth to 2 boys before she was 14, and having to take care of 2 babies, a home and cooking, plus a grumpy husband, who I think was wishing he was on his horse somewhere else... well you can imagine how well that went!
How old were your Grandparents when they met? Were they living at home or on their own?
Was it an arranged marriage? They were very often done in the 1800's, or could your Grandmother have been a mail-order bride?
Are you a Grandparent? Be sure you share your knowledge about your family life as you were growing up, because it will not be anything like what your grandchildren have been living!
Can you imagine answering a letter from a cousin who talks about jobs for hard workers and arriving before your letter does?
These and other areas of our lives are complete unknowns, and tell so much about you and your loved ones to your children and grandchildren. Especially if you aren't near them to tell them the , "When I was your age" stories. Don't let your history become lost. None of us are amazing to ourselves, but maybe someday a grandchild will need to know what you survived to tell.
So, share your stories, over and over, every time you meet up with family. It's those bits of family history that give our children and grandchildren a foundation from which to build and excel! Take the time to make your story exciting and fascinating, even if it seems ordinary to you, it can become the 'tie that binds' families together...especially during these turbulent times!
