Our World Tuesday: At Home

This year, my mother's cousin and aunt passed away. My aunt's passing led to my mother's receiving a parcel of mementos that had belonged to her. Among the many loose photos and albums were my mother's uncle's dog tags. Previously mom had received Uncle Burt's flag, which had been presented to my aunt at his funeral. He had been a World War II veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart. But he came home.

From December 18, 2011

Mom keeps the flag in the living room, where she also keeps a doll her grandmother had made many years ago. This was the grandmother who had three of her four sons serving overseas in the armed forces during the Second World War. She was a talented lady who did a lot of waiting over those years.

From December 18, 2011

Among the loose photos were images of my great-uncles when they were boys and then when they were soldiers. There was a picture of a Christmas tree my great grandmother had sent to one of her sons to give him a sense of what Christmas had looked like at home. On the backs of many images were narratives she had penned to keep her boys up to date on what was happening at home. There were images of my uncles with the women they loved and married, and the looks of devotion in their faces was remarkable to me. Even when I was a kid, I loved looking at my grandmother's photos and letting them tell me stories. Each contains not a thousand words but a universe.

From December 18, 2011

Finally, Della and I got around to decorating the Christmas tree. That's another trip down memory lane with the ornaments, like this one, that my grandmother used to tape to our presents. It's funny what endures. I have no recollection of what was on the other side of all that wrapping paper, but I know this snowman.

From December 18, 2011

Our World Tuesday