Family History Roll

So, once in awhile I come up with a good idea and, this is the amazing part, execute the idea. I'm pretty pleased with myself for this one, which would be why I'm sharing it with the "cyberworld."

Visiting graves on or near Memorial Day hasn't always been a tradition, though it should be I know. Growing up so far from my family members' graves made it more challenging. Since I've been back in Utah, I have managed to visit gravesites a few times near Memorial Day but still not consistently. This year I went to Grandpa B's grave on Sunday afternoon. While I was there I had the thought to write my memories of him. So I returned to my car, retrieved a notebook, pen and chair and then sat at Grandpa's grave and recorded my memories.

It was fun to bring back those thoughts and images. There weren't many (Grandpa wasn't retired when I was little and then when he did retire he had two strokes which affected him physically & mentally and put some limitations on my interactions with him). But the ones I have are precious; he teaching me how to walk through a puddle when I was about 4 is probably my favorite. Plus, I was a kid and the idea of chatting with a bunch of adults wasn't why I came to visit Grandma & Grandpa, it was all about playing with my cousins. You know, just being a kid.

When I returned home I pulled out the transcript from his funeral and reread that. (Thanks again, Ann, for putting it together and giving us all a copy for Christmas a few years ago.) I enjoyed reading the memories others shared that day and getting to know Grandpa a little better again. I find it a bit ironic that even though I didn't know Grandpa that well or interacted with him as much as I would have liked, I still miss him. I miss knowing he's there and feeling his love for me. Of course I’ll always have those tangible things which instantly remind me of him – raspberry sherbet and Fig Newtons – to bring back the feelings.

My goal now is to do the same with Grandma Hafen and Uncle Steven so that those memories don't fade any more than they already have. Guess that means I'll be doing a couple road trips since Grandma and Uncle Steven are buried in Mt. Pleasant and Cedar City respectively. (Now if those famous stories we keep hearing from Dad and Mom about their growing up years could get recorded, we'd be on a family history roll!)