Last night I was able to watch my kids "see" history.
I was blessed to know my Great Grandmother. Even more so that she was around to meet Danni (five generations) and she passed at the ripe old age of 104 one month before Brennan was born. She was born the eldest of 13 kids, she went to school in a one room school house, grew up on a vineyard, worked for C&H and left her first husband because he was abusing her, one of her husbands worked on the railroads and she traveled the country with him, one of her sons died in WWII, and she used to make applesauce and canned all her own fruit. In her later years she did a very complete genealogy of the family the old fashion way by writing letters, my sister and I helped her since at that point she was legally blind. Her birthday was right before the 4th of July and that was her very favorite holiday. She lived by herself until right before she passed away. She was one of the strongest people I knew. She saw a lot of history and she was often amazed by it all. I often wondered what I would be able to look back on and say I saw in the making.
Last night was one of those moments that I KNEW I was seeing history. We all watched both speeches... Fiona was a little confused she finally just said "But Mommy who is the President? I don't understand" So we tried to explain to her that the first guy was saying he wasn't running for President anymore and the second guy was the new President, I think she got it... She did understand that the two little girls on the stage were getting a new puppy and that he was a good parent for getting them a new puppy.
I will remember that my oldest was able to vote in this very important election, that my son was interested in the democratic processes and that the little one was immersed in the whole process even if she didn't understand it all. Danni won't remember the wall coming down just two weeks after she was born and Brennan won't remember that the 'cold war' was declared over just days after he was born, but this is something they do understand and will be able to tell their grandchildren like my Great Grandmother told me about her very first time being allowed to vote and how she demonstrated for the right to vote. I remember as a child watching the first steps on the moon, I was two, but I remember pieces and snips about the day the adults all being very happy about something and standing around the TV. Later on in life I asked Mom about the day and she said that my memories match what happened that day...
I was blessed to know my Great Grandmother. Even more so that she was around to meet Danni (five generations) and she passed at the ripe old age of 104 one month before Brennan was born. She was born the eldest of 13 kids, she went to school in a one room school house, grew up on a vineyard, worked for C&H and left her first husband because he was abusing her, one of her husbands worked on the railroads and she traveled the country with him, one of her sons died in WWII, and she used to make applesauce and canned all her own fruit. In her later years she did a very complete genealogy of the family the old fashion way by writing letters, my sister and I helped her since at that point she was legally blind. Her birthday was right before the 4th of July and that was her very favorite holiday. She lived by herself until right before she passed away. She was one of the strongest people I knew. She saw a lot of history and she was often amazed by it all. I often wondered what I would be able to look back on and say I saw in the making.
Last night was one of those moments that I KNEW I was seeing history. We all watched both speeches... Fiona was a little confused she finally just said "But Mommy who is the President? I don't understand" So we tried to explain to her that the first guy was saying he wasn't running for President anymore and the second guy was the new President, I think she got it... She did understand that the two little girls on the stage were getting a new puppy and that he was a good parent for getting them a new puppy.
I will remember that my oldest was able to vote in this very important election, that my son was interested in the democratic processes and that the little one was immersed in the whole process even if she didn't understand it all. Danni won't remember the wall coming down just two weeks after she was born and Brennan won't remember that the 'cold war' was declared over just days after he was born, but this is something they do understand and will be able to tell their grandchildren like my Great Grandmother told me about her very first time being allowed to vote and how she demonstrated for the right to vote. I remember as a child watching the first steps on the moon, I was two, but I remember pieces and snips about the day the adults all being very happy about something and standing around the TV. Later on in life I asked Mom about the day and she said that my memories match what happened that day...
I am hoping that Fiona being six will remember this day even if it is only to remember that two little girls with dresses that she liked got a new puppy.
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