It was in a box. A gift box from a local Ohio store. One of those sturdy boxes with the department store’s name etched on it. It was the kind of box that once held a crisp, white dress shirt or a silk slip. The box was full of loose photos, newspaper clippings, funeral cards; the bits and pieces and fragments of life that have the tendency to build nests inside boxes and quietly nurture the past.
Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I instinctively knew the man in the photo was Tom’s grandfather, John, and that the photo was one of those “finds” that demanded a frame to enclose it and a shelf to rest upon.
This is a small photo, with a bright light shining upon John. It has a folksy look that always makes me wonder what Norman Rockwell would have made of it.
John spent much of his life as a farmer. We have another photo of him with his first team of horses. John has the same honest, direct gaze in his eyes in that photo, as well.
Like many farmers of his time, of any time, in truth, John also worked side jobs to eke out a sustainable income. Farm life was, and still is hard, struggling from crop to crop, season to season. So it was that John did custodial work for the local school and the Lutheran church down the road; buildings that needed to be kept warm for students and for parishioners, as well as odd jobs that kept everything going.
This photo harkens the holidays. John is standing on a small stage, much like a stage I once stood on in my own childhood. These wooden stages were a few steps up, usually in the church basement or school gymnasium. They allowed for recitations, commencements, ceremonies and meetings. Perhaps you had , or still have, one in your life.
John is looking directly into the camera, a pipe in his mouth, wearing overalls and work shoes. He is leaning on what appears to be a dolly. At his side is a freshly cut evergreen tree. My ever-active imagination conjures up scenes of John and another going off to find the tree, felling it, loading it onto a platform in back of the “machine”. Farm folk, and some city folk, often called automobiles machines. Finally, the tree would be put to rest at the foot of this stage. A hand-wrought wooden tree stand holds the tree. The tree awaits tinsel and ornaments, a star or an angel on top.
This little snapshot in time speaks volumes of a kind and hardworking man who struggled to make ends meet, yet, still smiled as he looked his neighbor in the eyes, puffed on his pipe, and held, frozen in time, an act of goodwill and anticipation.
Have you ever found a long-ago gift in a box or drawer or whatever?
Such a heartwarming discovery, Penny! It’s a wonderful gift for your entire family this Christmas season. An envelope of old photos (with Greek writing on the back) intrigued my husband as a child. He saved them… and always wondered who these people were. Recently, these photos were the ‘keys’ that unlocked my husband’s genealogy research. Much research and a bit of true serendipity led him to discover living relatives in Greece. We have been getting to know one another through letters, phone calls, and Skype! We all agree that it’s a miracle that we discovered one another! ♡
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It was, Dawn, and actually first discovered several years ago, but, means more and more each year.
What an interesting and exciting journey into ancestry that envelope of old photos became. First, your husband was curious about the photos with the unknown writing on the back, then he kept them and has at last discovered not only who they are, but, that there is family still living in Greece. Isn’t it amazing how much opens up to us through technology?
You touch upon an important point. It is helpful and can become important to write on the back of photos, which often tells who the person or locale is, or what the event. A year or so before my mother passed away, she came over with a shopping bag full of photos she said she wanted me to keep. We sat at the kitchen table. She told me who was in each photo and I wrote the names on the back. It was such a special time for us to have spent together, and I have the photos still.
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What a wonderful gift from your mom! Names, dates, relationships, and sweet memories are so important as we document our lives and share our stories. We are both so blessed to have printed photos of families and friends. It’s growing more rare in our digital world. ♡
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It is growing more rare, Dawn, and serves as a reminder to me to make sure I print out photos and label them.
We are blessed, for sure. 🙂
It was a wonderful gift, made even more so by the fact that she passed away only a year or two later. That you for coming back, Dawn, and for being a constant in my blogging life.
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What a treasure! A picture tells a thousand words…See some family resemblances for sure.
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It surely is a treasure, Jennifer. Make sure to look at it next time you are here.
I can certainly see Grandma and Dad, especially in the smile.
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One of my favorites was in a similar box. It was full of recipes, news clippings, letters, and cards. It was a box from Myers Brothers,.one of the best local department stores. I found several things in that box that intrigued me, some were kept and many were pitched. This was all found in 1973 a few months after my my Mother’s death. One packet of letters were kept.
A little explanation is needed. Our home was not only our home. It was home to the neighborhood and by extension, the friends of the neighborhood kids. It was a home away from home for many and a safe haven for many teenagers who were seeking acceptance.
Fast forward to 2014. My sister invited me to join her in meeting for dinner with some old friends. One of them was Tom Q. Who had served bravely in Vietnam Nam. He was wounded, med-evacuated out and never saw some of his friends or any of his belongings that were in camp again. The bundle of letters were letters written to my Mom, his “other Mother” he called her. In letters to his friends included me, he was light herated and even silly. But to Mom he shared what was going on in a little more detail. I was able to return those letters to him. I can’t tell you how glad I was that I had kept them and was able to return them. He thanked me profusely and told me how much these letters meant. This is the same Tom that I had girls at college write to. He is still a good friend and a proud Marine. He said those letters were one of the few things he had from that time.
I love your photo and the history that it carries.
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Oh, Janet, your sharing of your Myers Brothers box and its contents has brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart. I’ve read your comment several times, each time a blessing.
Your home was a place of safety and open arms, a port in the storms of adolescence and an example of how we should all be. I was just at your home that one time (memorable as it was) and felt at home and welcomed there. No wonder all who entered felt safe.
I can only imagine how healing it was for Tom Q; how it probably helped him gain some sense of closure on his service, experiences, grief and loss. His “other mother” kept his words.The fact that your mom kept the letters, then you did as well speaks well of what caring, compassionate women are like. How wise you were, in a time of your own grief, to keep that packet of letters.
Your words and the time it took you to write this are an early gift to me, Janet. These are the things that make life whole and meaningful. Thank you, dear friend.
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Thank you, Penny. I think Mom would be pleased that Tom got his letters back.
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You are welcome, Janet.
I’m sure you mom would be pleased. She kept them for a reason, perhaps awaiting his return home or recovery from his wounds – then you kept them. Now, Tom Q has them back. It is a good thing. A very good and beautiful thing.
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What a beautiful find that box was Penny. Have a wonderful Christmas.
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Indeed, Gerlinde, it was – and is! The photo sits on the desk on normal hours, out, more prominent, during the Christmas season. A wonderful Christmas to you as well. More baking today.
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The frame perfectly suits the photo. What a lovely discovery, Penny. I haven’t discovered any lovely surprises like that. But I found an old journal I had put away in a box. It had several blank pages that I could fill in if I want. It’s interesting to look back and see what thoughts or Scriptures were helpful.
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That old journal of yours was a very special “find” and must have been enlightening to read though your thoughts. What did December 23 bring forth on that page? I don’t journal like I used to and hope to get back to that in the next year. Your comment reminds me to make that promise to myself – and to keep it.
Thank you. L. Marie. Last week, we said stay warm, today, stay dry.
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I am sure that Tom’s grandfather and mine would have been friends as they had so much in common as farmers. My grandpa had a wicked sense of humor. His favorite quote before each meal was “I eat my peas with honey, I’ve done it all my life. It makes my peas taste funny but keeps them on my knife.” A little Southern humor!
I was lucky to know him and cherish all the poor taste poetry.
Have a Merry Christmas if we don’t talk again.
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I love that quote! All the old adages, poems, sayings that brought humor and thoughtfulness into the long and hard days for farmers. Your grandfather’s Southern humor lives on, Marilyn. I’ll be thinking of this next time I have peas.
Have you written any of your grandfather’s quotes in your Commonplace Book?
Thank you, Marilyn. Merry Christmas to you as well. Rain is predicted and above freezing temperatures. After all that snow last week, we probably won’t have a white Christmas after all. 😦
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A lovely story and such a nice photo. I am the keeper of my past since both my folks are dead and I’m an only child. I have pictures and letters and my mother’s diaries and scrapbooks. I don’t think there are any surprises, but I really should spend more time among them all.
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Thank you, Nan.
I find the surprises in the little things. This was a very sweet one.
If memory serves me, one of the first blog posts I read of yours was a passage from your mother’s, or was it your childhood diary?
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Some photos are full of stories, for those who know how to look, and imagine. I feel I’ve met this honest, hardworking man and had quite a glimpse into his life. Thank you Penny.
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How true that is, Juliet. When we first came upon this photo, we didn’t see the Christmas tree. It was heartwarming to realize the tree was there, then Tom remembered the stage in the church, and the story fell together as if John were talking to us. I’m happy to have introduced him to you. 🙂 You are very welcome.
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What a wonderful photo and I love it in the frame! Tom’s grandfather looks like a content man. You have a gift for valuing and writing about family Penny.
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Thank you, Janet. That means a great deal to me.
It was hard finding the right one as the photo is small. I agree. He does look content and we can really see some family traits. 🙂
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