My dad is the baby in the middle. between his brother Symen and his sister Margaret. I love this picture!
It had been missing for years (is anyone seeing a pattern here?).
Yesterday I removed a snapshot from a wallet-sized frame and there it was!
The original is quite blurry but charming enough to show not just looks, but personality!
Symen died at the age of seven. He fell through ice on a lake. He was the one responsible for John and Margaret, and it is something the family has always marveled about - the fact that they didn't all drown. My dad, John, was a three year old at the time. He remembers it clearly. Without a doubt, his entire life was altered by this tragic event.
Margaret lived longer. My father adored her. NOBODY did anything as well as she did, in my dad's opinion. My mother adored her, too. Margaret passed away over twenty years ago. Whenever I see any of her six children, I realize she isn't gone - as I can clearly see her in them.
A few weeks ago I was talking to my mom. She was mentioning different things she remembered from the past. How she wished she had stayed connected with her friends from her childhood. And then she said in sort of a cracking voice, "I miss Margaret".
It isn't the length of the life, is it? It's the depth.
I'm thankful that my parents have had both. It's truly a blessing.
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5 comments:
We must be on similar wavelengths; I'm soon going to post an 85 year old pic.
I am digital camera-less but one of these days I'm going to buy one. Someday I'm going to put a bunch of old photos on CD so I can post them on my blog. THAT said, I absolutely loved this post, Judy. The photo of your dad and siblings is priceless. I have a photo in sepia tones of my dad at around the ages of these kids here...he's in a little sailor suit with a "Buster Brown" hair cut and his ever faithful Boston Terrier Peg O' My Heart sitting by his side. It is my favorite photo of him. I also have one of my mom all bundled up as a baby with a little cap on her head. I pray I never have a house fire, but my most precious photos are in an old decorative wood box on the book case in our bedroom, close at hand and ready to go if I ever have to leave fast!
I love old family pics!
Depth not length: beautiful in the simplicity and truth of this thought!
Enjoyed this post...I know something of what your dad has gone through. Loosing a young sibling or one who is 20, in my case, forever changes the course of a family and over every gathering there is a bit of sadness for the one missing. Now so many are gone (my mom, her parents too in addition to him) that gatherings rarely happen and are nothing like they were. My grandma once told me it is so hard to become the older generation and be the last one left of your friends and relatives as she lost most all hers before she left us. I do so look forward to never being separated again from all my missing loved ones. I am glad you are enjoying your parents as you are!! And your young ones too!
My grandpa was a cute baby.
I don't know the socially agreed-upon norms of the blogosphere. Usually when someone comments on my blog I respond to them on my blog. But my blogs are generally public discussions. You posted on my blog and it was less of a public discussion and more of a "Hey! GO TIGERS! I'll eat your cake on Sunday." Do I respond on your blog or mine? I'm going to respond on yours. So...
I can barely contain my glee! The Tigers in the WORLD SERIES! Who would have thought this would happen three years ago?
I really want to be there on Sunday. But hey, I'll be in town next Saturday for approx. a week. So I'm still excited!
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