A Rare Opportunity…

warning:

This article is not a witty response to a movie, or a fun look at politics. It is unlike to anything I’ve posted on here. It involves my thoughts and so it fits in here. Take it or leave it, no one makes you read this crap.


Here is my entire family at my Sister’s wedding; A day filled with joy and tragedy. My sister committed her life to her husband and I danced. Don’t misunderstand…my new brother is great. The tragedy is my dancing.


Weddings are great, aren’t they? (Please note the sarcasm.) While I’m consistently honored to be invited to this ceremony of commitment, most of the time it’s not worth the hassle. I’m not a big fan of dressing up, making awkward small talk and being dismissed to eat far too late because I’m at the singles table. I’ve learned that misguided DJ’s think singles can wait to eat. I hate a bad DJ! Well my sister’s wedding got me thinking. Fear not, this article will not be a sad diatribe on singleness. Instead it got me thinking about family.

I’m 28 years old, I graduated high school 11 years ago this week. My fading memory and receding hairline work as reminders that I am not a young man anymore. I’m closer to mid-life then I am to college. I have plenty of family and friends that are much older than me, but time marches on for all of us. This picture has both sets of grandparent standing along side my brother and sister on their wedding day. Yet as I sit at table 8, and think about the day I think about how fortunate I am to have family. Having both sets of grandparents still healthy and happy seems rare. I often feel guilt when it comes up in conversation but on this day I feel fortunate.

I get to thinking, I need to do something to capture this time and gain a greater understanding of my heritage. Before last weekend my family time line was a random collection of facts. My understanding of my father’s parents was based on a few transparent moments and commentary from their children. So I scheduled an afternoon to have lunch and video tape their recollections of life. As a grandchild I have unprecedented access to these very reserved individuals. I can ask questions that no one in my family would ever dare to verbalize. And on that afternoon I sat down with both my Nana and Papa and went from birth to present day, having them articulate their experiences as my video camera rolled.

I had planned on being at their house for a few hours. I had expected these members of the greatest generation to be characteristically quiet. I spent 13 hours at their house, and left with 9 hours of tapes documenting the experience. As I drove down their familiar street at almost 1:00 in the morning I had plenty to think about. I pondered interesting tidbits like the fact that my relatives include original Mormon leaders and a president of the United States. (Howard Taft looks like my Papa, and that isn’t a coincidence.) I felt the weight of the confessions. My grandfather expressed both pride and sorrow over his involvement in World War II. My grandmother still actively mourns the death of her son second son. Their lives resonate in my mind and I am thankful for that.

I don’t know why I didn’t expect this, but I have certainly been caught off guard. Reviewing this footage will not be an easy task and it is one that I’m looking forward to. It’s not something I plan to complete this summer, this year or anytime beyond that. This is a project I hope will last through generations. The words shared that day will hopefully pierce the minds of many people decades and even centuries from now. All of this from the simple people that are known for their bad puns and long Monopoly games, I am so thankful for my Grandparents. I love their stories, I love their compassion, I love them both dearly. And now I have 517 minutes of video as a vivid reminder of that love.