Snapshot

March 12, 2008

My brother John sent me the most amazing gift today: a whole slew of photos that I have never, ever seen before. I was a child who pored over photo albums. Even now I can picture what photos were on what page in our many albums. But somewhere John found a whole set I'd never seen and scanned them all. My heart feels very full, mainly because most of these are pictures of my grandparents, Mur and Pa, and I am in the pictures. See, there are hundreds of photos of my grandparents with the older three boys. They spent their childhood nestled in the arms of grandparents whom they saw frequently. But when Stephen and I were so little, we moved hundreds and hundreds of miles away from our grandparents. In fact, it occurs to me now these photos were probably taken right about the time we moved from Southern Illinois to New York. Likely, these are our goodbye photos.

What is going through everyone's mind on this day? My oldest brother, James, looks cool and composed behind my grandmother, but he was about to move across the country just a month before his senior year of high school. By all reports, he was not happy. John and Peter, at 10 and nearly 14, look as if they are ready for adventure. Stephen, at 3, was squirming as always. And my grandmother is holding me, not quite 18 months old.

I know what my grandparents were thinking: do you have to take them away from us? They had to have been thinking that. When Stephen was born, my grandfather is quoted as saying, "There's nothing in this world but tow-headed boys." I don't know that I've ever heard what he said when I was born.

In my childhood there were two completely separate places: there was New York--my home--and there was Southern Illinois, the home of the rest of my family. This, then, is clear evidence that I was part of that midwestern world, even if for a short time. My grandfather may have held me over his shoulder and smoothed back my hair. I may have teethed on my grandmother's pearls.

I think my time with them was too short.

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Comments

Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by ApplesofGold (4.140.132.242)

I love that picture. I'm sorry you didn't have more time with your grandparents-they sound like they were very special. It looks like they loved you very all very much in that picture.
I also feel wistful about family that I didn't have the chance to get to know very well-because of moving away from them.
What a treasure your brother gave to you with all those pictures. Holly

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Thursday, March 13, 2008 - okay...

Posted by Blogless Leigh (69.247.28.115)

thanks for making me cry dummy!!!

I have been thinking about our baby a lot this week and knowing she won't remember this time with us-but we sure will!! I don't know what the future holds for her but I hope someday she will look at pictures of her visit and see how much we love her!

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Sunday, March 16, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by debbiecorley (76.114.75.180)

What a sweet treasure! The boy on the far right looks like he's planning a naughty adventure.

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Sunday, March 16, 2008 - what a memory

Posted by Jennifer in OR (69.88.229.219)

I love this! What a treasure - I'm glad this new batch of photos showed up for you.

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Monday, March 17, 2008 - Oh, good...it's not just me..

Posted by ComfyDenim (72.192.71.2)

I see that bloglessLeigh beat me to it. I wasn't going to call you a dummy, but I'm sitting here with tears and thinking "Gee thanks!".

That's a very sweet picture.
Now I gotta go blow my nose....