A Family Tale—A
living history
After
we have "heard" a FAMILY TALE or STORY, it then becomes our
responsibility to pass the story along to FAMILY and FRIENDS and our CHILDREN;
for now we become the STORY TELLER, and have the sacred honor and privilege of
passing it on to FRIENDS, FAMILY, and CHILDREN.
In
this way, the STORY continues; for you see, a FAMILY TALE or STORY is only
"alive" during the telling, listening, and sharing.
If
it isn't being told, the STORY dies, FAMILY LORE is lost, and the richness of
our lineage is diminished.
The
death of a FAMILY STORY is something we must never let happen, for they
are our sacred heritage entrusted to our care.
These
STORIES are good, remember them, for they help to explain some of the mysteries
that we find around us, some things that happen in NATURE, in the FAMILY, in
FRIENDSHIPS, and in RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.
Family
Short Story
In the early 1950s, when I
was in Second Grade, I lived for a time with my Maternal Grandparents on
the tenant farm they worked and managed in the Township of Pond, which is
located near Delano and is in the Central part of California. It was a flat farming area for miles around
with one gasoline station, one store, one elementary school, and one
"STOP" sign. (Use GOOGLE to
view this area from your computer and get an aerial perspective.)
It was during this slice of
my life that I learned some of the greatest lessons that would stand me
throughout my journey on our heavenly earth!
I have SO MANY memories of just "ordinary" daily living. Getting up early. Making my bed. Dressing for a day of play, school, or church. Playing in the farmyard. Watering the "truck garden" and
outdoor plants. Feeding the chickens,
pigs, horses, cows, and pets. Checking
the mousetraps. Sweeping the floor (we
had NO vacuum cleaner). Preparing a meal. Doing dishes.
Clothing wash day. "Ironing"
clothes, table clothes, pillowcases, Grandpa's handkerchiefs and Gram's
aprons. Playing with my doll. Cutting out paper dolls from McCall magazines.
Splashing in the farm pond. Listening to radio soap operas and programs
as The Long Ranger, Dick Tracy, Burns and Allen, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, and
more. Celebrating birthdays and other
special days as Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. These were the special days of my life that I
remember today so fondly full of simple pleasures
and the romance of discovery.
It
seems sometimes the joy of life that comes with the simple pleasures and romance of
daily living can be right in front of you, waiting to be noticed. And, so much is missed in a hurried life, so
that you can find yourself too busy to really enjoy the moment!
When
my life gets too busy or my thoughts crowded, these simple pleasures are the first things I miss. So an intimate awareness helps me slow down
and "Stop and smell the roses".
Greeting the sunrise. Celebrating
a sunset. Walking. Gardening.
Painting. Writing. Listening to music. Tuning into the rhythms of nature's symphony. Connecting with dear ones. This is living. Slowing my pace allows me to savor the things
that matter and feel fully present and real, just as I felt all those year ago
living with my BELOVED Grandparents on the farm.
There
are moments in nature, when the simple pleasure
of just listening to the frogs, ducks, and other nocturnal creatures rhapsodize
of an evening, fill me to overflowing with enchantment. Just this evening, I went out to enjoy the
sunset after a beautiful day. As the
curtain of twilight lowered on the horizon, I began to hear the chorus of the
Frog Colony that resides in the wild life reserve a short 200 yards from my
front door, as they heralded the coming of the gathering darkness. The romance
of their chorus "lightened" the burdens of my day!
These
are the simple pleasures of my life,
the memories that stand out, the thoughts and actions that make my life feel
very rich.
Sometimes
the joy of life that comes with the simple pleasures
and romance of daily living can be
right in front of you, waiting to be noticed.
Some are so small that they could lie unnoticed right at your feet if
your mind and body are racing and if you delay taking time to "Stop and
Smell the Roses".
*********************
Closing Thoughts
Here you have a Short Family Story of my BELOVED Maternal
Grandparents. This story began
before they were born and continues
after their passing, with their descendants and the many lives and
hearts that they "touched".
The
testimony of FAITH, FAMILY, & FRIENDS that was the life of my WONDERFUL
GRANDPARENTS is their legacy!!
Grandpa
and Gram, I LOVE and MISS you both every day of my life!
However,
this is not the beginning for
there are other family members that traveled this path before, and this is not the end for new generations are
yet to come.
This
is just a short story for those family members that are interested in OUR
FAMILY STORY and HISTORY.
I
feel very honored to be a part of this FAMILY TREE.
I
love being a part of the history of this land.
I
love that my family were here before me ... and will be here after me.
**********
QUOTES
"At
night I went out into the dark and saw a glimmering star and heard a frog, and
NATURE seemed to say, Well, do not these suffice?" [Ralph Waldo Emerson]
"Stop and smell the roses"
[Lyrics by Ringo Starr 1981]
"Stop and take the time to
smell the roses,
Stop and take the time to fill your noses,
Stop as you stroll through life, ("pitter patter, pitter patter")
Stop and take the time to talk it over with your wife."
"Well, I was walking down the
street the other day,
You know, and I said to myself, what's all this hurry,
What's all this hustle and bustle.
Why don't I just stop, look at the pretty roses,
Smell them for one moment, take the time to see,
Take the time to smell, have a good time in life.
Don't let ev''rything pass you by, you're only here once
And I've been here longer than most of you."
**********
