In an hour with my grandmother, I learned more about my history and heritage than I ever knew. Spending time with those from different generations can teach us how things used to be and inspire us to make things as they should be.

When I was in college, I would visit my grandmother every Mother’s Day. It was two hours away, so I woke up early, poured some coffee, and hit the road so I could be there in time for church. After the service, we’d go to her house or my cousin’s place and eat a nice home cooked meal.

As the years passed, she became weaker and couldn’t get around as easily. So, just my grandfather and I would go to church, and then no one went. Mother’s Day lunch was at her house, with the aunts and cousins congregating there over mashed potatoes, barbecue, and sweet tea.

I then made it a point to visit more often than every May. I would reroute my trip home to include a night at their house for winter break. We would sit in the living room as she asked about school, girls, and future plans. Once, while staying over, I decided to ask a simple question: “Can you tell me a story about my great-grandparents?”

The answer would take a few more visits and countless follow up questions to be complete. I learned about how her parents stopped in Nashville because it was the winter of 1921 and they just couldn’t make it all the way to New Orleans in that snow. So, with my great-grandmother pregnant, the Marsh family settled in Tennessee. My great-grandfather bought a garage and worked on cars.

Years later, Johnny met Shirley and the rest was history. When my dad’s oldest sister was born, they had to pay the hospital bill in installments. It costs $35 to have a baby, and my grandfather paid $5 a month for the next seven months. It was slightly manageable on his weekly salary of $15 at the gas station.

I then got the rundown of my dad’s side of the family. Aunts and uncles I only saw at family reunions were explained. Details that aren’t in history books were revealed. For just a brief moment a few times a year, I was taken back in time and shown what it was like to be a Davidson before I was one.

Chances are, people who are older than you are happy to talk about the way things used to be, lessons they’ve picked up along the way, and ideas for a better tomorrow. This same caring idea can be done with those who lived through pivotal times. It is especially important to hear the stories of those who were alive during pivotal points in history. There are those who marched for civil rights and those who survived concentration camps who have stories that must be documented now. All of our time on earth is limited, and when our grandparents die, it is as if libraries burn to the ground. We owe it to those who came before us to capture their stories for those who will come after us.

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Ingredients:

• Pen and Paper
• Open-ended questions
• Listening Ear

Caring Time:

• 60 Minutes

Cost:

• FREE! (unless you talk over lunch or coffee)

Results:

• Oral history captured for posterity
• Explanations of your family history
• Greater understanding of who you are