Trip to Ohio--Part 2: Visiting Great Nana

It was the first time in more than a decade that Sam saw his Grandma Allen. She will be 90 next month, and still lives in the home where she raised her family. In fact, this home has been in the family for three generations and 102 years. I got caught up in all of the black and white pictures Grandma shared with us, and the Historian in me kept wondering what stories the walls would tell us if they could talk.

Sam's Uncle Bill is an extremely attentive son to his aging mother. He checks in with her daily by phone, and spends the weekends at her home taking her to the grocery store, etc. He was so thoughtful to spend the day with her when they expected us to arrive. Our schedule worked out that we didn't show up until about 7 pm--and they waited dinner on us, then we chatted with Grandma and Uncle Bill until 11 that night.

Grandma Allen is holding a stuffed animal kitty named "Tiger" that has sat on the back of her couch for many years. David quickly took an interest in the toy, and just as quickly, Grandma Allen gave it to him to take home. The rest of the evening David's tired and boyish antics were demonstrated on the poor thing. Grandma Allen kept playfully reminding David to be gentle by saying "Poor Tiger. Poor, poor, Tiger." while stroking the fur. At the end of our visit, Grandma looked the toy in the eye and said, "Well, Tiger, I think you'll learn how to play in a way that you've never played before when you go home with David." David knows how to be gentle, but it quickly goes out the window when he's too tired.

We slept at Grandma's house in the upstairs rooms, and I really enjoyed the experience of being in those rooms. We left her house after a visit to Grandpa Allen's grave site (passed away 5 years ago) and a run to WalMart to scan in some of the old photos that Grandma Allen had in her albums. We got back on the road at noon, headed towards Harrisburg, PA where we would spend the night in a hotel.

The visit to Grandma Allen took a huge toll on us--but every minute of exhausted driving was worth it to have the chance to be in her home and hear her stories. It is so important to keep the generations connected, and we all came away with an appreciation of the heritage from which we come. It's a precious gift that the generations before us hand to our children, and what a gift to have connections with those who have lived such good lives!