Comments on Decompressing Faith: History

Thanks Lyn. I agree completely. I hope my husband ...

2008-02-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks Lyn. I agree completely. I hope my husband and I are as in love as they are after 60+ years.

What a wonderful post and testament. Brings a tear...

2008-02-19T12:48:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful post and testament. Brings a tear to my eye. I think people who have been married so long are such a wonderful example to us all.

Kelly - I think it's important to take moments and...

2008-02-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

Kelly - I think it's important to take moments and recognize the value of a lifetime, but you are right, dwelling would only create melancholy.

I know, for me, that being jolted by the recogniti...

2008-02-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

I know, for me, that being jolted by the recognition that life is so transient can be enlightening. It sucks that we forget it so often. But I guess if we were struggling with the existential all the time, we wouldn't be living either.

Aaron - Thanks! I enjoyed your post. It's so fun s...

2008-02-18T20:16:00.000-08:00

Aaron - Thanks! I enjoyed your post. It's so fun sometimes to take that trip into our memories of our grandparents.

Thanks Kathy!

2008-02-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks Kathy!

Mary - It's funny, all these years while they were...

2008-02-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

Mary - It's funny, all these years while they were young and active and healthy, I didn't really appreciate who they were. I'm just glad I realized it before they were gone.

Rhonda - It's been an adventure I wouldn't trade f...

2008-02-18T20:13:00.001-08:00

Rhonda - It's been an adventure I wouldn't trade for anything!

Barbara - I love, too, that she preserved all this...

2008-02-18T20:13:00.000-08:00

Barbara - I love, too, that she preserved all this, even if it is excessive, it's meaningful.

Erin, thanks. That is probably the best family his...

2008-02-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

Erin, thanks. That is probably the best family history in fifteen minutes (my lips move when I read) that I've ever seen.

I also have an old radio from my grandparents, and your post inspired this post:
Objects and History

beautiful story, erin. so much history, so much st...

2008-02-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

beautiful story, erin. so much history, so much story, so much life. thanks for sharing. talk to you soon.

What a beautiful post. I know that I'm just now b...

2008-02-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful post. I know that I'm just now beginning to appreciate the history of my grandparents. I'm glad that you have this opportunity.

Erin Sounds like you've been on a grand adventure....

2008-02-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

Erin
Sounds like you've been on a grand adventure.
It's awesome you get the chance to see their lives in this way and see your life through that mirror.

Thanks for sharing some of your history with us! ...

2008-02-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

Thanks for sharing some of your history with us! Its a beautiful tribute to your grandparents. I love your grandma for creating something tangible to keep the family connected over the generations.

I did think of one story I wanted to tell for anyo...

2008-02-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

I did think of one story I wanted to tell for anyone who is still listening...

My grandparents have a walnut tree in their backyard. Every year they would dry all the walnuts that fell and give them away or eat them.

One year my mom was pregnant with one of my brothers. My grandmother said for weeks and weeks before the due date that she JUST KNEW the day the last walnut fell, my brother would be born.

My mom was skeptical because the walnuts weren't supposed to be done by her due date. But she went overdue with my brother, and my grandmother kept a close eye on the walnut tree. Pretty soon it was down to the last few walnuts, then the last walnut...but it was still hanging on.

One day my mom finally knew it was time. She called her mom (my grandmother) to come stay with the rest of us kids so my dad could take her to the hospital...but when she called, my grandmother wasn't home.

Before my mom could hang up the phone, my grandmother pulled into our driveway...you have to know it's about 30 minutes from my grandparents house to my parents house.

Anyhow, my mom came running out of the house, saying to my grandmother "I was just trying to call you, what are you doing here!?"

My grandmother said, "The last walnut fell this morning, and as soon as I saw it I got in the car and came."

Sure enough, my brother was born later that day.

Wow! I'm entirely blown away by the responses to t...

2008-02-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

Wow! I'm entirely blown away by the responses to this post!

It was a very busy day, so I ask you all to forgive me for not responding to individual comments...I'm wiped out. But I'm so glad some of you found this post meaningful or inspiring.

My mom always tells me I'm not sentimental...and in many ways I'm not. I don't often attach value to things...but the last couple days, I have realized the value of my grandparents "things", because each and every thing meant something to them at some point and therefore it tells some of their story.

The glimpses I've seen have been profound to me...even today, after weeks of going through the house, I still found things I'd never seen before.

Especially meaningful to my family were all the relatives and friends who came today to take a away a part of my grandparents history, to help it continue to live on.

My grandparents lived in their neighborhood for 65 years, and many of their neighbors, neighbors children and grandchildren came, and we ended up hearing so many stories of my grandparents life there, and it was amazing to me how much they meant to the people around them, people who were touched by their generosity and love. As part of the family, I already knew this, but to hear so many other people with these sentiments was so awesome to me. They really were generous and caring people to everyone.

I'll never forget this day...it was an amazing addition to my memories of them...and I'm so glad some of you here could appreciate that.

We realized today that it was the exact one year anniversary of the day we moved them into assisted living...we didn't plan it that way, so it's ironic and cool.

I do find that my grandparents were the poster children of missional. They simply loved on everyone and filled every need they could. No judgments, just love. Oh, to be like them one day.

Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments. I will treasure them.

Pam - Thanks so much for taking the time to come all the way out today, and it meant so much to my mom and I that you wanted to take just a bit of my grandmother's "paper legacy" and love on it. Thank you.

i'm glad i came out today. your blog inspired me t...

2008-02-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

i'm glad i came out today. your blog inspired me to come and see all those wonderful papers your grandma collected, and old magazines.

now i'm going to blog about how i burned santa today.

check my blog out in about a half hour or so......

Very beautiful Erin. I've been working on family t...

2008-02-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

Very beautiful Erin. I've been working on family tree over the past year and been wanting to specifically document something like this - at least some stories...

I'm not sure I can improve much on what Mike just ...

2008-02-16T19:32:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure I can improve much on what Mike just said, so I will simply say... ditto. It's beautiful, Erin. Thank you for sharing this. :)

Erin ~ Mere words do not and can not describe the ...

2008-02-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

Erin ~ Mere words do not and can not describe the emotions that I felt while reading this post. This was a beautiful tribute to your grandparents and through your words I was able to experience a little bit of what you must have been feeling. I don't know that I could have done it.

Thank you for sharing such an important part of your life.

Erin, This is a beautiful post. What a gift you'v...

2008-02-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

Erin, This is a beautiful post. What a gift you've had to know your grandparents so well.

We've been doing a similar sorting through decades of "keeping" with my in-laws as we combine households. There isn't quite as much history here (only 45 years or so), but it's almost impossible for my mother-in-law to let go of things. That depression mentality -- it might be useful someday.

I hope my kids will have memories of their grandparents as sweet and meaningful as yours.

Wonderful.They reminded me of my mother's parents ...

2008-02-16T06:27:00.000-08:00

Wonderful.

They reminded me of my mother's parents who still loom large in my life even though they've been gone a few years now (within a few months of each other, of course - 72 years of marriage does that). They were an interesting pair - he about 6'3" in his prime, still cutting timber for Ozark charcoal companies well into his 80s; she a little under 5', with piercing blue eyes and a *giggle*. And every time Grandma looked at Grandpa it was like they were still teenagers in love. Even after seven decades, seven children that survived and one lost as a baby on the farm (preemies didn't stand a chance in rural Iowa in the Depression - my Grandpa came to tears talking about her in his 90s), lost farms, decades of grinding work and poverty...they were still in love and loving and full of humor and true Christians in the best sense. I am proud they are in me.

So, we're not here to talk about ME. :-) Go hug and love your grandparents, and kiss each of them for me, too, will ya?

erin- what a beautiful testament you've written he...

2008-02-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

erin- what a beautiful testament you've written here. you honor your grandparents with your words and the care you show to the things they so valued. thank you. it brought tears to my eyes. i'm thankful for the things i have from my grandparents' home.

Thanks so much Nate. Sorry you had a rough day. I'...

2008-02-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much Nate. Sorry you had a rough day. I'll pray.

Beautiful post. Sorry so short VERY rough day. Pra...

2008-02-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

Beautiful post. Sorry so short VERY rough day. Pray for me please.