Grandparent Love: Family History Writing at Its Best

Grandparent Love: Family History Writing at Its Best

So, yes. I wake up every morning and check my phone to see what interesting things might have come in overnight and the first thing that caught my eye this morning was a Facebook post.

It seems the Field Recorders’ Collective has just published a CD featuring the music of fiddler Vernon Spencer of Big Springs, Kansas. The tracks are from family-held recordings and Vernon’s granddaughter, Tricia Spencer, was instrumental (seriously, no pun intended) in making them available for others to enjoy.

Ordinarily, mention of a new old-time music release would be an odd thing to post on a “Love My Ancestors” blog, but the essay Tricia wrote to accompany the CD is a powerful example of family history writing at its best. The simple, unassuming prose masterfully captures her love for her grandfather and preserves their connection in a way that left me thinking warmly of my own beloved grandparents.

Really, it just takes a pencil and paper (or a simple word processor) and a little time to write our family stories down. My husband’s mom did just that some years ago and I’m so glad she did. Those memories are gone for her now but we still have them to enjoy.

I won’t get to it soon — so many other things I need to do — but, really, I should make it a priority. And I’m grateful to Tricia for bringing that thought to mind this morning.

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