History
Yesterday I went to a party for my great-aunt's 100th birthday. One hundred years, can you believe that? She was born in 1910. It's astonishing to think of all the things she lived through, both historically and personally speaking. And she's quite well, health-wise. I mean, she needs a cane to walk and thick glasses to read, but, well, she is 100 years-old. She's perfectly lucid and talked to lots of people. It's really quite amazing. My mom told me that Great-aunt's father, my great-grandfather, died at the age of 104. Man, that is a long life. Great-aunt's two sisters, who live with her, are 89 and 84, and both are active and healthy.
My brother was commenting that the secret to long life is to not get married, as all 3 of my Great-aunts are single. Most of the siblings who got married, like my grandfather and 2 other great-aunts, have died. It's an interesting theory and, in the case of women, it makes a lot of sense. A married woman, especially one born at that time, had a hell of a lot of stresses in life, beginning with giving birth to some 6-9 children (my grandmother had 7). Then taking care of all those children, and the husband, and manage the house, and do so without a lot of money to spare (at least for my grandparents). So yeah, I can see how a single woman would have it a lot easier.
Anyway, it was a good party. Most of the people there I'd never met before - as you can guess, it's a rather big family - but it was interesting to gather everyone together. And it's also interesting to see family resemblance. My grandfather's younger brother looks a lot like him. Not so much in appearance, perhaps, but in the way he stands, moves and talks. It's quite uncanny.
It was also interesting to see some old family photos, like the one of my great-grandparents wedding (taken in 1906). They also have one of those old clocks with a pendulum that was given to my great-grandparents as a wedding gift. That clock is over a 100 years old, and it's still working. It's a beautiful piece of machinery. I really love this old stuff, these little pieces of history. Younger Great-aunt says she has a huge collection of old photographs of various family members I would love to see.
I love this family stuff, and I really hope things don't die out now that Grandmother is gone. I know my parents, my brother and I are going to fight to keep the family together and keep gathering everyone for Christmas every year.
My brother was commenting that the secret to long life is to not get married, as all 3 of my Great-aunts are single. Most of the siblings who got married, like my grandfather and 2 other great-aunts, have died. It's an interesting theory and, in the case of women, it makes a lot of sense. A married woman, especially one born at that time, had a hell of a lot of stresses in life, beginning with giving birth to some 6-9 children (my grandmother had 7). Then taking care of all those children, and the husband, and manage the house, and do so without a lot of money to spare (at least for my grandparents). So yeah, I can see how a single woman would have it a lot easier.
Anyway, it was a good party. Most of the people there I'd never met before - as you can guess, it's a rather big family - but it was interesting to gather everyone together. And it's also interesting to see family resemblance. My grandfather's younger brother looks a lot like him. Not so much in appearance, perhaps, but in the way he stands, moves and talks. It's quite uncanny.
It was also interesting to see some old family photos, like the one of my great-grandparents wedding (taken in 1906). They also have one of those old clocks with a pendulum that was given to my great-grandparents as a wedding gift. That clock is over a 100 years old, and it's still working. It's a beautiful piece of machinery. I really love this old stuff, these little pieces of history. Younger Great-aunt says she has a huge collection of old photographs of various family members I would love to see.
I love this family stuff, and I really hope things don't die out now that Grandmother is gone. I know my parents, my brother and I are going to fight to keep the family together and keep gathering everyone for Christmas every year.