Early in December we had (for this region) a MAJOR storm which affected life's ebb and flow in many ways. Gratefully, there was no 'White Christmas'. And, now the Weather Channel and local meteorologists are saying 'Here comes another Winter Event'. This time, though, the prospect is more for ice than for snow. If that proves the case, now what . . . ? Slick roads, downed trees and power lines, delays, missed appointments, who knows what else.
It occurs to me that I have never heard a song entitled "In the Good Old Wintertime" ! This is not the first time that I have lamented about the rigors of Winter on these posts but, good grief, each new blast feels like both an initial shock and an accumulation of frigidity.
Some might counsel 'compare your weather to that in other parts of the world.' Yep, New England where my brother lives is a refrigerator from November to April or May. Today's news carries stories about major blizzards in Europe. Comparisons, however, have somewhat limited shelf life. I remember a cartoon from Bill Mauldin's World War II book, Up Front. Willie and Joe, the quintessential infantrymen, are in a foxhole and bullets are flying overhead. One turns to the other and says, "The h*** this isn't the most important foxhole in the world. I'm in it !" Winter weather 'events' usually are not comparable to combat experiences and I do not intend to be callous towards storms endured in other places.
Just hold on !! Spring's coming. At least, it always has.
Satchel
"I've heard that story a million times !" followed the re-telling of a long ago event when the extended family gathered for the holidays.
Among other tales, there was the recounting of very young Chandra's question to Mal and his "Lord, God, that young'un asked me . . . " Joseph enjoys recounting his overhearing dad's muttering under his breath as mom shouted out yet more instructions from a distance. Caryn remembers mom's delight in telling how she carried her from the hospital after her birth and how important that had been for grand-mother. My mother alleged that her first-born eventually inquired about the new child in the house: "When are you going to take that kid back to the hospital?" Mom's sole surviving sibling, ten years younger than she, has regaled the family with anecdotes of her sister's early years. Everyone seems to have their favorite.
Recently, I reread a comment from Joan Chittister's
The Gift of Years, that I like: "Family tales have always been the parables one generation handed down to the next to tell us who we are and where we came from." Paradoxically, along with the grief, such tales are often repeated at the time of family deaths. "Do you remember the time when . . . " or " Grand-daddy told me . . . ".
Inter-generational stories can be warm, humorous, and 'heart-gladdening.' Others can be reminders of deep hurts. Many years ago I conducted a funeral for a man who likely still had the first dollar he ever made. While visiting with his family after the service, his older daughter remarked, "Daddy was tight." I offered, "Don't say he was 'tight', say 'thrifty'." She drew herself to full stature, clenched her jaw and almost spat, "Tight !!"
A brother suggested that I write a kind of family history to pass on to our children, grand-children, and subsequent generations. Well, maybe.
What are your many-times-told tales ?
Satchel
