GinaFish.com

One of the best things about my youth was that although I didn’t get to see my Grandparents much, I always looked forward to a week with them in the summer. Although they seemed old to me, when I look back I realize that my mother’s parents were in their 50s while my dads were in their 70s.

At my mother’s parents house, sometimes my cousin Bird would get to spend the same week that my sister and I were there. So it was the three granddaughters all together for a week. We’d explore the house from top to bottom, maybe walk to downtown with Grandma, definitely go feed the cows at our great grandparents, and maybe our grandpa would treat us to soft serve ice cream from the local ice cream shop. It was always a high light of my summer.

The other day, I borrowed my Grandma’s photo album from 1977 -1980 and scanned 72 pictures in. While looking at that album, I realized when I was 8 was probably one of my happier times, uncomplicated by boys, money, and other odds and ends that grown up lives get complicated with.

My cousin Bird, was the only cousin I had on my mom’s side of the family until my aunt had two kids when I was in my 20s, she in her 30s. My cousin Bird was only one year older than me. So of course, I really looked up to her and wanted to be like her in a lot of ways. I’m not so much like her as an adult. But we still have some similiarities because we have some common experiences. I think we’d both agree that we liked our Grandpa best pre-Parkinson’s. That Aunt Toby was/is cool because she’s only 10 years older than us. That it was a lot of fun at Grandma’s house. Thanks for good times.