2 simple boxes...

[moosmom]

Whoever would've thought that those 2 simple boxes could reduce a 53 year old woman to tears. But they did.

My brother told me he was shipping me via UPS, 2 boxes of family photos. When they arrived, I was shocked! There are HUNDREDS of them, most in albums, the rest are loose, some dating back to the early 1920's.

I'm not sure exactly why he wanted ME to have them, since he's part of the family too. Our aunt (also his Godmother) had them for years. I knew SOME of them existed, but didn't exactly where they ended up. Well, now they're with me.

The first box made me realize how important family is to me.

My Mom, who died of lung cancer at the age of 44, had her last chemotherapy treatment. My father took pictures of her in a cap and gown, a cake with burning candles, together with my grandfather "Bumpy" (my Mom's Dad who lived with us), and all her sisters with the "thumbs up" sign. When I saw it, I just sobbed like a baby, because I remembered it as if it were yesterday. (it was actually 32 years ago).

What was REALLY odd was what I noticed. In almost EVERY picture, the person had a drink and a cigarette in their hands. Back then no one worried about dying from smoking or driving while under the influence.

My aunt Betty created an album with each of the sister's families in it. My cousins and I are going to get together sometime (not sure when) and go through them and divy them up.

My aunt Gladys (also my Godmother) had a book with LOTS of WWII memorabilia from her days in the Coast Guard. Since I have a duplicate, I'm going to donate her stripes, food ration stamps, and other memorabilia to the Women's Memorial in Washington, DC. She's registered there.

Once I got through the second box (I could barely see) I could feel a story brewing (just before my computer pooped the bed) and typed like my tush was on fire. I saved it on a disk and will work on it periodically.

I have a feeling that's why I've been in such a funk the last week. My friend Pat Seremet died, almost my whole family is gone, made me face my own mortality, and how time goes by SO fast.

[davidpizzica]

Whoever would've thought that those 2 simple boxes could reduce a 53 year old woman to tears. But they did.

My brother told me he was shipping me via UPS, 2 boxes of family photos. When they arrived, I was shocked! There are HUNDREDS of them, most in albums, the rest are loose, some dating back to the early 1920's.

I'm not sure exactly why he wanted ME to have them, since he's part of the family too. Our aunt (also his Godmother) had them for years. I knew SOME of them existed, but didn't exactly where they ended up. Well, now they're with me.

The first box made me realize how important family is to me.

My Mom, who died of lung cancer at the age of 44, had her last chemotherapy treatment. My father took pictures of her in a cap and gown, a cake with burning candles, together with my grandfather "Bumpy" (my Mom's Dad who lived with us), and all her sisters with the "thumbs up" sign. When I saw it, I just sobbed like a baby, because I remembered it as if it were yesterday. (it was actually 32 years ago).

What was REALLY odd was what I noticed. In almost EVERY picture, the person had a drink and a cigarette in their hands. Back then no one worried about dying from smoking or driving while under the influence.

My aunt Betty created an album with each of the sister's families in it. My cousins and I are going to get together sometime (not sure when) and go through them and divy them up.

My aunt Gladys (also my Godmother) had a book with LOTS of WWII memorabilia from her days in the Coast Guard. Since I have a duplicate, I'm going to donate her stripes, food ration stamps, and other memorabilia to the Women's Memorial in Washington, DC. She's registered there.

Once I got through the second box (I could barely see) I could feel a story brewing (just before my computer pooped the bed) and typed like my tush was on fire. I saved it on a disk and will work on it periodically.

I have a feeling that's why I've been in such a funk the last week. My friend Pat Seremet died, almost my whole family is gone, made me face my own mortality, and how time goes by SO fast.

Donna, if you need a 58 year old shoulder to cry on or just to lean on, I'm a phone call away.

[catnapper]

(((hugs))) what a beautiful gesture for your brother to send you. Sometimes the good things make you cry a mixture of happienss and sorrow. What a great idea to donate the duplicates to the Womens memorial.

[moosmom]

As I laugh out loud, my cousin emailed me when I told him about the boxes. His reply, "Gee, too bad he couldn't have sent some of Betty's money in those boxes." (my brother inherited her entire estate, stocks, bonds, home, cars, you name it). My brother NEVER shared anything in his entire life. Can you say SELFISH???

Catnapper,

Beautiful gesture??? HAH!!! He probably got sick of looking at the damn boxes and decided it was time I lugged them around for a while, like I lugged his WPI (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) year books.

[Anita Cholaine]

Sometimes little things make us feel a mixture emotions we hadn't had before, and makes us think about things we had never noticed...(((hugs)))

[kuhio98]

What a wonderful gift he's given you. Even if you don't think he meant it that way, it is a gift. (One man's trash is another man's treasure). Please write down everything you know about the people in the pictures. We waited too long with my grandmother and she didn't remember who most of the people were. A huge part of our history was lost because no one alive knows who they are.

[moosmom]

Kuhio,

I definitely will write down the identies and stuff while MY mind is able and I'm not working. I know my brother meant well in his own way. He can be a real jerk most of the time (that's why we only email each other because we always end up yelling at each other for stupid stuff). Like I've told him, I love him cuz he's my brother, but sometimes I don't like him as a person.