Memorial Day

We've always been Memorial Day people in my family. I mean we actually go to the cemetery and take flowers and talk about our family lines. It's interesting and I really enjoy it. I didn't always. As a younger girl, with things to do, people to see, I was bored. We used to make up games and I usually wandered off looking for the oldest grave markers I could fine. I remember finding a set of sisters graves, who both dies as babies. They had simple flat white markers. It was heartbreaking, even as a obnoxious teen who the world revolved around.

Now I take time to visit each family members grave and this year I was the one telling my kids the stories about their ancestors. It was exciting for me. Naomi asked me after I told her a story, how I knew all that. I told her it was because my mom had told me, and her mom had told her. Family stories are important. I don't know a lot about all of my family genealogy, but I somehow am always just a little bit in awe that they were real people, not just names on a chart.

Both sides of my family are buried at the Providence cemetery, which is actually in River Heights. And I think there is a story there that the land was once owned by someone on my moms side.

I'm thankful that this is a family tradition and I'm also glad that I can visit family members graves, that I live close enough. I like that Naomi now associated the cemetery with nice thoughts, not ghosts and spooky Halloween. I like the reason to remember.

From my Front Porch at Sunset Today