Just Some Thoughts

Tonight I had the great fortune of visiting my Great-Aunt Bertha. She is one of those people who typifies "salt of the earth," and I'm glad the opportunity of going to see her. She told some fantastic stories, and I learned more about my extended family than I knew before. I hope you'll indulge me while I share a couple that I think are worth repeating:

The first story she told was about her mother's family. Her grandmother died when her mother was very, very young...so young that her only memory of her is looking into her coffin. Soon afterwards, her father remarried, and life went on. Unfortunately, her stepmother didn't get along with one of her brothers, and her brother had a set of grandparents sowing seeds of dissent in his ear. Things really blew up one day when his father was away at work, and the stepmother told him to leave. He packed up his belongings in a red handkerchief, tied it onto a long stick, slung it over his shoulder and left. He was not even twelve. It was years and years before the family had any word of him, but apparently he went to California and made a good life for himself as a machinist in a factory.

Another story Aunt Bertha told is of her grandmother, Sarah. Sarah's mother too died when she was young, and Sarah was the oldest daughter in the family. She had to grow up very fast, and she spent her life taking care of her siblings, father, and eventually, her own family. Her brothers went to college, but she never went to any school. She never learned to read and write. She married a good man, and they had four small children when he was called on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served faithfully, and they communicated through letters read and written by one of their sons.

These stories have made me think about my place in the world. This all happened less than 100 years ago. I am only two or three generations removed from these stories, yet my life is so very different from theirs. I cannot imagine having to be a grownup at the age of 10 or 11. I cannot imagine my life without the ability to read or write, skills that have brought me no end of joy. The blessings of easy travel, instant accessibility to communication, and education have truly changed the world. Of course they bring their own sets of challenges, but I am so grateful for them. I am also grateful for a long legacy of faithful, hardworking people who love the Lord and love their family.