Create Memories

Today is Grandparents Day. Both of my grandfathers had passed way before I was born and I was fairly young when the grandmothers passed away. My maternal grandmother lived in the same city I did and she died when I was six and my paternal grandmother did not live close and died when I was eight. 

I have vague memories of going to my maternal grandmother's where she lived with her son (Uncle Bill) and playing outside her house (no memories of the inside other than a kitchen table and some mean dogs) and taking her sandwiches after Uncle Bill passed away when I was three. Then later she moved in with my Aunt Alta's family before moving in with another son, Uncle Roy.  After she moved in with Uncle Roy, I can picture her sitting in the chair next to the door. After she died, that is where Uncle Roy always sat. I’m not sure if it was the same chair or had been replaced, but he was sitting in a chair in that same location when he died I believe.

My other grandmother visited us occasionally from where she lived in Southwest Iowa when other family members came to visit. I don’t believe I ever visited her where she lived there. My sisters told stories of her coming to stay when I was born to help my mother out and how she made tomato soup with water instead of milk like they were used to.

I really wish I had more memories of them. This makes me wonder what memories my grandchildren will retain. I hope they remember our trips to the zoo, Science Center, Living History Farm, vacation trips we have taken, cooking, family dinners, Friday night pizza, and game night. I hope I have been able to create memories for my own grandchildren so in 45 years they don’t say, “I don’t have many memories of my grandmother other than her sitting in a chair.”