Forget Me Not
"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." - Joseph Campbell
My husband and I finally decided to get our passports after procrastinating for months. I called a passport application number and they told me to make an appointment at our local post office and to complete the new passport application that is available on-line. One part of the application asks for the birth dates, birthplaces, middle names, etc., of our parents. Fortunately, I have personal information about my folks handy, but Jay had to call his mother and get the information directly from her. He is lucky his Mom is in good physical and mental health and she gave him the personal information about her and her ex husband without blinking an eye!
She is our only living parent. Both my parents have passed away and his Father passed away from an asthma attack in the mid 1980s. Many more of the amazing people who were born during the first few decades of the Twentieth Century are passing on. It is a sad privilege to witness their passing. I've noticed that they have one thing in common: the desire to tell their stories before they leave the planet.
The "pre-boomers" were born at the end of the the Industrial Revolution. Their parents lived in a time when people farmed, rode horses, sailed ships and made things by hand. Assembly lines, trains, electricity, telephones were new and, though these things were available, our parents and grandparents lived in a time when many people still used kerosene lanterns, rode horses, and communicated by letter and word of mouth. Jay's parents had relatives who served in America's Civil War, most of my ancestors immigrated from Ireland or Germany and were part of the cheap labor pool that built this nation. Our parents and grandparents witnessed and survived the economic collapse of America during the late 1920s and 1930s and they participated in two world wars. They were very familiar with self-sacrifice, making do with less, and being grateful for blessings that many people take for granted today.
Each experienced these wrenching and unprecedented changes, and each has a different and fascinating story to tell. My Mother's childhood was bitter and her life with my Father was hard but sweet. She shared her secrets with me and told of early days filled with bootleggers, artists, a horrible accident and survival. My Father's childhood was more secure but filled with families in the street, union organizing and strife, religious bigotry, music and survival.
There is a reason why some historians call these survivors “The Greatest Generation.” A common thread that runs throughout each of their lives is their devotion to family and their willingness to sacrifice to keep their families going during the hard times and the good times. The personal stories of Geraldine and Vincent are filled with challenges, failures, successes, love, spirit, music, education, children, friends, travel, and much more. I will not forget them.
Love each other - "Vincent Ryan"
