A Gift From My Grandfather

After my grandfather passed away (see a family picture in the March 1, 2012 post, “Family Dinners” and an entire post about him in “Measure of a Man“), I came into possession of some of his most precious  books.  One was a book he gave his mother for Christmas when he was a very young boy.  I read it and enjoyed it when I was young, but its a period piece and wouldn’t be considered proper in today’s day and age.  Another book I received was his copy of  The Annals of Augusta County (VA), 1726 -1871.  I’ve used that book as a source book of ideas for a few blog entries because it give insight into a “micro-history” unlikely to be found in volumes with a larger scope.  But most of all, my grandfather was a man of great faith, one who, at 90, was on his knees praying before he went to bed.  For that reason, the most priceless inheritance I received was his Bible.  Like “The Annals…” above, you can tell he studied this volume partly by items stuck between the page, partly by the notes scribbled in the margins and partly by the wear and tear it shows. Notice my mother’s baby picture and lock of hair tucked inside.  No question of how important his Bible was to him.
The gift my grandfather gave me today is found glued to the inside cover of the Bible.  Why do I say today?  Because I think sometimes we find things exactly when we need them.  I never noticed this before and boy, do I need it today.  I researched the first line and saw credit given to a George Klingle.  My grandfather’s copy doesn’t name an author. If you stumbled upon this today, I hope it helps you, too.

God broke our years to hours and days, that hour by hour,
And day by day,
Just going on a little way,
We might be able all along
To keep quite strong.
Should all the weight of life
Be laid across one shoulder, and the future rife
With woe and struggle, meet us face to face
At just one place,
We could not go,
Our feet would stop; and so
God lays a little on us every day,
And never, I believe, on all the way
Will burdens bear so sleep
Or pathways lie so threatening and so steep
But we can go, if by God’s power,
We only bear the burden of the hour.
– Spokane, Washington
October, 1908

Sunday Dinners

Family Photo

I thought it only fair to start with a picture of my family as I was growing up.  These are my relatives on my mother’s side.  My grandparents had 7 children and many of them had large families, too.  For so many years, it was a Sunday tradition to ride to my grandparents’ house ( a 45 minute trip) and have dinner with the clan. This was great, traditional southern food including, of course, fried chicken and vegetables and mashed potatoes.

I dreaded it every week.  Not only was the ride long, but none of my cousins were my age and some of them considered us “city slickers”.  With no peers to play with, I’d go inside with my grandmother and the other women only to get told to go outside because I was underfoot.

But how I loved my grandfather! (I’m the one right in front of him in the picture.) He’d sit and talk to me and teach me as if he was sure I was up to the challenge.  He’d tell me about his family in Northern Ireland, and current news, money issues and life.  From him I learned what behavior was expected and why.  Even more important, I learned his great faith.  When I saw him as an old man kneel down beside his bed to pray at night, I learned humility.

Now, so many years have gone by.  I only see most of the relatives at funerals, sad to say.  It matters to me now to see even the ones who were much younger than me and it seems so important to catch up and meet their spouses and their children.  It turns out that those Sunday dinners left lasting memories for us all and a lasting connection for which I am grateful.