Shortly after my mom passed away on November 7, 2010, I began a scrapbook on the life of my parents. I have a lot of old pictures, postcards and other memoirs that my parents had saved over the years. I decided the best way to preserve them and their history was to put as many as possible in the same place. I was determined to tell their story with the limited knowledge I possessed. I had no idea how many hints would jump out at me as I read the backs of old pictures and postcards. I ended up doing many hours of research based on little tidbits of information I came across. New clues jumped out at me endless times from unexpected places and I learned SO much about my parents lives! I am so excited about my discoveries! The more I learned, the more questions I had, the more research I found myself doing... the more I learned.
To most of us, when we are growing up, our parents are just our parents. We do not really realize at the time that they have a life, an identity, outside of being just "mom and dad," and that they have a history... a story worth knowing and sharing... a life worth remembering.
This blog may end up being a mind map of sorts, and a crazy one at that, because my mind is an organized mess after all! I'm sure some posts will be very random and others may really make a lot of sense. What I hope to accomplish is to introduce you to my family, and your family if you are a family member. My only regret is that I did not ask more questions when mom and dad were with me... and that I did not listen better when they told stories of their past. Ask questions of those you love... listen to the stories you have heard all of your life over and over and over again... Really listen, write them down, record them... remember! When we lose a loved one, we lose their memories and a part of our history if we did not take the time to listen...
I hope you enjoy listening to my memories...
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