I had the chance to sit and visit with my dad this weekend and he pulled out a beautiful treasure that he'd received in the mail from our cousin. The old pages of the photograph album were filled with black-and-white memories of long ago -- pictures I'd never seen of my grandparents, my dad, and his brothers as babies, toddlers, and little boys.
As dad and I sat around the table turning the frail pages of the album, we stepped back into a time of happiness and revisited sorrow together. The hours were especially dear to me. I am named after my dad's mom -- a grandmother I never knew -- and it was touching to see just a small glimpse into her life.
Dad shared the stories that he remembers and we marveled at the styles of clothes and old cars as we laughed at how the old homeplace has changed. I took quick pictures of my kin folks using my cell phone so that I could in turn share them with my children -- and you. Please indulge me and forgive the quality.
These are the keepsakes that I treasure.
 |
| My grandparents, T.C. and Faye Whittington, on their wedding day. |
 |
| Mama Faye holding my dad |
Don't you love the vehicles and fashions? I love seeing a mother's love shine through and the proud poppa holding his boy.
 |
| And then there were two . . . |
 |
| Off to church |
 |
| The happy family |
 |
| And now there are three . . . |
This picture is my favorite. It is a stunning portrait of love and affection. And it is heartbreaking because my grandmother was dying of cancer at this time -- and knew she would not see her boys grow into men.
 |
| a mother's love |
I debated on including this picture. In the end, I decided I would. It grabs my heart and will not let go. My grandfather, who we called PawPaw, and my dad saying goodbye. Oh, parting is such sweet sorrow.
 |
And the boys played on . . .
 |
On so many levels, these pictures tug at my heartstrings. As a mother, as a wife, as a granddaughter -- just to think what could have been. What a reminder to make every day count.
Black and white keepsakes. Do you have similar treasures hiding in a box? A picture is worth a thousand words. Get them out, take a look, listen to their stories.
I'm linking up with my friends Cristi (over at Through the Calm and Through the Storm) and Meg (over at Adventures with Jude) for the Blogging Through the Alphabet Challenge. Stop by for more alphabet adventures. We'd love to have you join us on our journey from A to Z.
This post tugged at my heartstrings. What precious memories and beautiful heritage! I love old black and white photos, and I have a special appreciation for the fancy scalloped edges on the prints, and those great little photo corners.
ReplyDeleteWhat precious treasures. I know that my parents have some of their old pictures and probably some belonging to my grandparents, but I haven't looked through them in years and years.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful pictures! Sweet memories. Also, it is also important to label your photos. Thank you for sharing. Unfortunately my mom doesn't have many photos from her growing up years. Drat! kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.
ReplyDelete