I got to spend the entire weekend with my parents. If I had my own room I would have missed so much ... like seeing my daddy's face when we unlocked the door to our room and saw only one bed. He kept saying this can't be our room ... lol ... We quickly found a roll away bed.
But even better than that was lying in the dark and listening to my parents tell stories that I had never heard before about their childhood. Hearing them talk I could clearly see a little blond hair blue eyed girl and a dark hair big browned eyed boy. My daddy is a soft spoken mild mannered man. I have never heard him say a single bad thing about nothing. He would give you his last penny and feed you before he let you leave..
My momma Miss Lois is full of it right up to her blue eyes she has something going on all the time as I listened to her tell stories of all the mischievous things she did I could so see it .. lol During the night she was giggling in her sleep and I'm sure she was a little girl again up to no good. Listening to daddy's soft snores and having him bring us breakfast in bed the next morning are moments I will treasure forever..
My parents were both raised at The Georgia's Childrens Home in Baxley, Georgia I have visited this place many many times in my childhood. Played with kids at the ponds, ran all over the fields and sat in church on Sunday mornings but I never thought about it as anything other than the place that my parents lived as children. Where they met, fell in love and married.. Until this summer I don't think I ever even thought about their lives as children.
My momma, daddy's sister Dot and two other girls sang all over the state of Georgia the entire time they were at the home. This year three of them got to sing together again for the first time in over 50 years it was so much fun watching them they sat on the front pew and giggled through the entire service.
While visiting the home this summer hearing the tales, meeting all of the others that were there as children and getting to see pictures of my parents, some that they had never even seen. I realized this was so much more. These people where my parents family . My daddy and his little sister Dot were raised at the home and momma had her sisters Floye, Rosa Lee and her little brother Elmer with her and then there was at times through the years up to 400 more children. You would think with this many kids they wouldn't remember much about the others but sitting there listening they could remember every little detail about each child maybe a funny story or a sad memory . I wish I knew how to write well enough to put into words every story they told. My daddy left the home when he joined the Air Force a few years later he and momma got married at the little church that they were raised in. I never got to see the original church but a local artist built a replica of it using materials from the church.
My parents pointed out where they used to sit and daddy told me how one Sunday morning he and two other boys got up early and went fishing before church they lost track of time so all three of them jumped on a big white horse and took off. Well the horse was flying and they couldn't stop him. When the horse finally stopped he had his big white head in one of the church windows and everyone was screaming .. lol ... bet they thought the lord had arrived .. lol even momma had never heard that story ..
I would like to share some of the pictures from that weekend here is one of my momma with her tongue sticking out... she still does that to this day !
Momma with her sister's and brother
Momma with some of the others
Momma and daddy's wedding day, daddy with unknown hottie, momma and aunt Dot with others.
Saturday's practice and Sunday morning
Sunday at dinner
The grounds and the archive room which was in a mess. I would love to get my hands on all those pictures before they are ruined forever.
Aunt Dot, me, daddy and Miss Lois
I would like to say I am a very blessed girl and the older I get the more I realize that. I would like to encourage everyone that reads this to make time for the people you love. Forget about what is going on around you just stop and be in the moment for the moments are gone way to soon ~ hugs ya'll, Cherry
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What treasured moments for all of you.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom and Dad are both gone now and boy do I wish I had what you have. You are a smart woman to know it.
ReplyDeleteI gave my Mom a journal jar for Christmas last year and it awesome to read it. Our regrets is that we didn't know about them while her Mom was still living. Ohhh the memories.
ReplyDeleteOh, Cherry, what marvelous memories you've documented.
ReplyDeleteI have blogs with stories of two of my half-sisters, one just beginning that is from her own written words, and another pieced together with memories, handed-down anecdotes and fleshed out with how I imagine it may have been. You'll find links at the bottom of Seedscatterer: Fannie Jane and Mary Zelda.
Oh, one more thing: When I was quite small, my mother was telling us some event from her childhood. I exclaimed, "Oh Mama, tell us another Tale!" "That wasn't a tale," she said, "That was So." "Tell us another So, then." Your parents have shared some real So's with you.
That is just sooo special. Those are memories that you must pass to yours. Nothing can take them away from you. It must have been such a wonderful time for you and for your parents.
ReplyDeleteI love reading about your homecoming trip in this post. Your parents are a lovely couple and I can see so much happiness in your family. I'm sure you shall cherish these defining moments of joy and laughter.
ReplyDeleteCherry, you did an absolutely fabulous job of writing this and I'll never again read your blog without thinking of this loving post. I am 61 and still have both of my parents and cherish every minute of my time with them. Your parents raised a special daughter.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post Cherry, and reminded me of a house we used to live in when I was about 8. A large old farm house with a huge entry hall that run the length of the house. When my paternal grandmother and her sister would come visit, we'd all have the doors open and everyone would talk to each other while in separate beds. Or rather my grandmother and aunt would recount stories of their childhood mischieveousness and I would giggle at them. It was a grand time.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful Cherry! I would love to get my mind wrapped around all the stories from this generation as well. You told it extremely well and I loved hearing it.
ReplyDeleteCherry, thank you for sharing such a touching story. My parents have been gone for many years, and I realize there was still a lot that I did not ask them when they were alive, but I do have some wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteWow, Cherry, what a fun time you must have had. You must see your parents through different eyes now that you had this experience, and learned new stories of their lives. That must have been a caring place for them to have grown up and had their own child(ren?).
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear more about my parents growing up, but they aren't always talkative about that, even when I try to draw things out of them. My mom's mom was an alcoholic, and died before turning 60 from cirrhosis of the liver. My dad was the oldest of 5 kids, and they were very poor. He worked at a young age and gave his money to his parents.
It's kind of ironic that your parents have such happy memories, even though they grew up in a home for children. I'll have to ask my parents what their happiest memories from childhood are.
Oh Cherry, what a wonderful experience and memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
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