When I was young, I stayed with my grandmother quite often during school breaks. One summer I copied her family history notes into a green four subject notebook, never fully realizing what a valuable resource I had recreated until my mother asked to borrow it a few years ago. The pages have darken and my handwriting has matured since that summer long ago.
I enjoy scanning the pages from time to time wishing I had recorded the many stories my grandmother shared with me as I wrote. I recently read a children's book titled, "What You Know First" by Patricia Maclachlan in which a child does not want to leave the only home she has known. The mother helps the child let go by explaining that her baby brother will need someone to tell him about their old home in the future.
My grandmother knew first, and she did her part by passing the stories along. Now, it's my responsibility to keep the stories flowing to the next generation. If I don't, who will.
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