Who are You

I once heard a story about a young lady working on an assembly line at a plant in Memphis,Tn. building supplies for the war effort in 1943. When from behind her there were two Army Honor Guards carrying a letter framed in black.

One soldier reached out and tapped her on the shoulder because the assembly line was so loud that they could not be heard, she turned around and knew immediately what they were there for, and she grasped the letter and held it to her heart. The soldiers saluted her and grasped her hand and told her they were sorry for her loss.

The assembly line stopped all of the young ladies working on that assembly line gathered around her and once she had composed herself, she said to all of her companions we have to get back to work so that this never happens to any of you. Some 50 years later the young woman had grown old and had died, when one of her granddaughters was going through her things she found an unopened letter framed in black. The letter that was framed in black was addressed to her grandmother with the last name she had never known.

 I have no idea if that story is true, but there are so many of the greatest generation we have ever known are passing away without telling their stories for future generations to know, what they went through and who they were.

It's not that we want to pry into their private lives, it's that their families, there granddaughter needs to know why that letter framed in black was never opened.

Years from now when you are gone and your great granddaughter looks into your granddaughters eyes and ask who were your grandmother and grandfather? What will she be able to tell them? Have you told your story to your children or grandchildren? Do they know you played football or you were a cheerleader? Do they know in your younger life you were a member of the Allstate band? What, I ask you again what will they know to tell your great granddaughter? If you are not here to answer the question she asked and you never wrote it down or told anyone.

Memories keep us alive and happy, so I ask you to keep you with us for generations to come, share your precious memories of who you are with those you love.

Memories are the greatest gift we can give to those we love and future generations of those that will love us.