When You've Become The Oldest Generation!

This past weekend was the Memorial Day weekend and, as such, that got me to thinking about Memorial Days in the past and about the fact that with the passing of my Mom in January that my brothers and sister and I are now "the oldest generation" alive for our family.

Boy, when I was younger I never thought I'd see that day. We always talked about reaching the year 2000 and how OLD we'd all be. I would be 46! YIKES and to me back then that was ancient. Now at the age of 56 I'd like to have those 10 years back.

Memorial Day was established as a way of remembering and paying tribute to the military heroes who lost their lives in service. However, when I was a child Memorial Day was also a day to pay respect to our ancestors and always preceded by going to the florist and getting all the flowers that we would be putting on the graves of our deceased relatives the next day.

At the time this was a BIG tradition for my family and lots and lots of flowers were bought and displayed. My grandmother, grandfather, older brother, and I would travel around to the various grave sites and display the flowers, say a prayer, spend a few minutes and then be off to the next grave site.

In total we may have visited 3 or 4 cemeteries - I can't really remember. What I do remember was I had to wear my Sunday best for the visits and that it was very, very important to my Grandparents. So, I always tried to be on my best behavior- which for a young child was not always possible. Especially, when you had an older brother who was constantly - or should I say incessantly - teasing you.

In any event, that was a long time ago and I can't remember when the last time was that I actually visited all the grave sites. It's been awhile I know. Somehow with the passing of time, the many moves of families nowadays, and my own life getting in the way my family has lost the tradition of honoring our deceased relatives on Memorial Day by visiting their graves.

While I didn't visit the graves of my deceased relatives this weekend I can still honor them by showing you a picture of some of them.



My Parents

My Mom's Side Of The Family


My Mother, Grandparents, and Great Aunt


My Grandparents


My Mother and Her Brother


My great-grandparents


My great-grandparents

My Dad's Side Of The Family


My Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, and Aunts & Uncle


My Grandmother


My Great Grandmother   
Also,  I have thought that as the "oldest generation now" there is a way I can truly honor them for all eternity. And, believe it or not - it would be by setting up another blog. That is, when I had time (now that's a laugh!!!)

It would be a family history blog to house all of the wonderful old pictures I have (including some of those on metal plates - they scan beautifully) and to let all of my relatives see what their ancestors looked like.

And, what better way to do this then through a blog. That way it is online and always accessible to them no matter where they are located in the world. An heirloom type of blog. I think it would be a great way to honor all of those who have gone before us.

Until my blog is done - to those who have gone before us:

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. - Meaningful Quotation by From a headstone in Ireland

For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. - by William Penn

What we remember from childhood we remember forever - permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen. ~Cynthia Ozick

"To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die." ~ Thomas Campbell

"Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy." ~ Eskimo Legend

Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight. ~ Rossiter W. Raymond