Grandma, tell me 'bout the good ol' days

I was never really close to my paternal grandmother.



Close in proximity, yes, we were next door neighbors.

Not personally, though.

My Grandma Vivian and Grandpa Willy on their honeymoon

She kept her distance for the most part. She was a very private woman, and didn't really want to talk about herself... I think she actually got a little embarrassed to talk about herself too much.

I have gotten to know more about her and her life after her life was over...

When I recently went to visit family in March of this year it was quite intriguing to learn more about my Grandma Vivian's siblings and parents.

I was able to have this experience with my newly-found cousin (our grandmothers are sisters), Tiffany, and her aunt Peggy.

As we talked about our families and the personalities of our grandmothers we all felt a strong feeling that my Grandma Vivian and Tiffany's grandma were encouraging us to reunite their family again.

Tiffany took it and ran with it.

With the help of our, also, newly known cousin, Jennifer (our grandmothers are her dad's sisters) they put together a long-awaited reunion for our Grandpa Marion's family.

There weren't a LOT of people in attendance at this first-time-in-a-long-time reunion, but more than I even hoped.

It was SO fun to reconnect with many I had heard of but never met.

I felt a kindred connection to many of them and really felt like we are family.

I felt the presence of my Grandma Vivian there and know that she and her siblings were standing hand in hand watching their families reconnecting and enjoying looking at old photos, telling old stories and comparing who looks most like our Grandpa/Great Grandpa (depending on who was doing the comparing).

It was so fun, too, to see so many similarities in so many of us as we talked and played throughout the evening. We shared laughs and memories that will always be treasured.

To all of you out there whose grandparents are still alive, do this, get to know them. Really get to know them. Talk with them and ask them questions. Don't wait until after they're gone to try to find out information and stories you could have asked them personally.

I know hindsight it 20/20, but sometimes, if can just learn from other's viewpoint we wouldn't have to look back and think, "I wish" or "I wonder."

At least now, I have new memories that I hope will just be added to many others of the extended family of my grandmother Vivian.

I am sure that my grandma was giggling at the fun we were having:

Oh the fun children and adults can have with foam pool noodles... OK, OK, it really did get quite out of control. Jessie and I both lost our hairstyles in the course of this "free for all!"

Oh, and I have no idea what started this... OK, it may have been one of Jess' kids... just sayin'...

Of course we had to have a tug-o-war! It's a family reunion! We did the kids and then the adults!

Thanks, Grandma Vivian, for helping me know more about the good ol' days by inspiring this reunion from above.