Which one of your ancestors would you most like to talk to? 
Submitted by Kathy.

well, after spending a wee bit of time at my grandma amelia's last night, (the first time in my entire life without her there) i 'd cherish the opportunity to ask her about her treasures. her gloves, her wedding dress, the napkin from her wedding which gently wrapped three small memories from that day. i'd ask her about the peculiar box i found in the basement that has the oddest visual etchings i've ever seen. the loads of skeleton keys, the furniture, the glasses, everything has a story. so if i could be selfish and have a day with her to myself we'd go through her stuff and i'd learn so much, i'm sure.

yesterday was my grandpa golden's funeral. my grandpa had a stroke and passed away as my grandma watched. after 62 1/2 years of marriage she said she watched the sparkle leave his eyes. his soul left this earth quickly and quietly as he sat in his favorite chair a week ago today. towards the end of the service while the priest was speaking i looked up to see my grandma embracing her husband's casket with her hands, with her head, with her heart. she was the only one standing. slowly she was joined by some of her 12 remaining children. it was so beautiful and so sad. we walked into the reception and she looked me straight in my eyes and said quietly, "i'm just going to miss him so much, i'm going to miss him so much." i hugged her tight and my mom came up and grandma said, "i wanted to hug him one more time."

my grandma golden's sister, my great aunt mary is 96 1/2, in a wheelchair, with a breathing tube, and she shakes while she talks. when i was growing up when you asked aunt mary how she was doing she'd always reply, "whoever i can and the good ones twice." Ha! who can get away with saying that? and she always has made everyone feel so beautiful and heard. she'd hold my cheeks in her soft old lady hands and she'd say, "you're so beautiful. you're so gorgeous." with such conviction that you'd be forced to believe it was true. what a gift she is. she looked around the reception yesterday and repeated, "you're all so vibrant, you're all so young." i squeezed her tight and told her she was beautiful when i first saw her at the church and i hope she believed me, i was hoping she heard me.

it was a tough day. i'm still reeling from it all. my grandfather was laid to rest at the same cemetery as my grandma amelia was back at the end of september. if you had told me i'd be back there so soon i'd have answered a defiant, no way. but there i was in the same black velvet coat, black boots, and tears forced to say goodbye by death.

 

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