Thursday, July 18, 2019

My Parents' House


My parents lived in that house for a long time. Two of my brothers had been drafted into the Army. My sister finally returned home.  Two brothers and two sisters were married while they lived there.

My second son was born while my little family had the small apartment there. Then a few years later there was a baby boom in our family. In about a year and a half we had 5 babies in our family. My brother and his wife started it all with my loving niece. She also began a baby boom in her mother's family; they had 7 babies in the same amount of time.

Mom had her garden every year. Besides her vegetables she always had a lot of flowers. My dad had his grapevines and his roses. There were cook-outs which the kids all loved.

Our family flower became the snapdragon. Daddy would pick one blossom and squeeze it on the sides to show his grandchildren how the dragon's mouth would open and close. The kids loved it.

We celebrated holidays in that house. Mom would cook and bake. I mostly baked and contributed some of my goodies.

My niece was so full of love. She was sick all her life but she would take my daughter with her as she went visiting in the neighborhood. My niece had made friends with all the older people who lived in the neighborhood. She would knock on their doors and tell them she just wanted to say hello.

When my niece died my daughter continued the visits as a tribute to her cousin. She told me she knew those people missed my niece and that her cousin wanted her to still visit them. The brother of the woman next door found out that my daughter was making a ball of rubber bands. Any rubber bands he came across would be put on a certain fence post so my daughter knew where to find them. They would promptly be added to the ball.

My niece was 8 when she died. All of us were devastated especially the children who were born in the baby boom. There were 2 new babies in the family. She had pictures of them in her hospital room and was anxious to see them.

My brother was also killed in Viet Nam. It has been 50 years and it is still hard to comprehend. The people of the neighborhood were all so kind. It was touching.

My brother's death was especially hard on my father. They had worked together before my brother was drafted. It was the only time I can remember seeing my father cry.

There were 2 more grandchildren born. Then we began to be grandparents. The way it should be.

Unfortunately my father did not live to see them.

My brother and his wife thought they might be having another baby when my father had a massive heart attack and died.

I hate to end on a sad note. Please know that we all have such wonderful and happy memories of my father. He was a much-loved man.

Everyone from the neighborhood came to the funeral. Everyone from the plant he managed came to the funeral. Not everyone who came could fit inside the funeral home. They waited outside and accompanied him to the cemetery. He would have been proud.

16 comments:

  1. What a wonderful little girl your niece was to be so kind and thoughtful and to inspire your daughter to do the same. Life was kinder then.

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    1. I believe her destiny was to teach us to love. She taught the other children that lesson. Our lives were richer for having known her.

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  2. life has two sides like a river dear Emma ,at one side countless memories of happiness
    and at other sorrows

    what a sweet and friendly soul was your niece ,may be she knew that she will stay here for short time unconsciously

    and she built up her everlasting love in each heart she met

    my brother died by t.b when he was 13 and i still miss him so much
    best part of your story is that no matter what you all were there for each other

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    1. All the people we have loved and are no ;longer with us have left us with a better insight to what we aspire to be. My niece was exceptional because she was not much more than a baby. The other children knew that often she was too sick to play with them so they would play where she was. They played or her and tried to include her as much as possible. Children are amazing with knowing the right way to do things.

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  3. So much sorrow, and so much joy. I am moved by this post. This is the stuff of life.

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    1. It is life. Life has profound sorrows and stunning happiness. We need to embrace both.

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  4. Colette said it perfectly.

    Such a family, such a history. God bless you all.

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    1. There is a lot to tell when you come from a large family.

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  5. It is so sad loosing young members of a family. I lost my brother in a road accident when he had just turned 21, I still miss him. Take care Diane

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    1. It hurts to lose a member of the family. I am sorry you lost your brother at such a young age. He was hardly an adult yet. You will always miss him.

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  6. It is so comforting you had such a loving family, and also good to know of the tribute to your father.

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    1. Family is a huge comfort to my life. I was so proud for my father. He would have his chest puffed out with pride.

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  7. Certainly there is nothing like family and you have such a great wealth of stories to share about yours, Emma. It was sad to read about the passing of your brother and father.

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    1. I have also lost my mother and two siblings younger than I am. My sister is bed-ridden because of a stroke. Bad things happen. All we can do is keep our love for them alive and share it with others.

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  8. My dad showed me how to make the dragon mouths with snapdragons.
    Your sentence opened up a memory tunnel in my mind that I haven’t explored in many years.
    Sad and beautiful post Emma.

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    1. Daddy was a beautiful person. He was the rock of our family. I adored him.

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