from a simple assignment...

maizie came home from school with a history assignment... she was to find a veteran to interview in honor of veteran's day... i suggested silly papa {a name that my girls have called my grandpa forever}

 

my grandpa is 90 years old... he was in world war ii... the sunday before veteran's day, we were visiting with him but maizie forgot to bring her list of questions so she asked if she could call him when we got home... he said sure and that he would try to answer the best that he could because it was such a long time ago...

 

she dialed... he picked up... we put the phone on speaker and their dialogue began...

to listen to them was so sweet... so many decades apart, yet connecting from a simple assignment... it was amazing the things that he remembered... she took a lot from their conversation... his rank... commendations... where he was stationed... he mentioned places in italy that we had never heard of... he told her of the time that they had to hide in a tunnel because the building that they were supposed to be in was getting bombed... he said that it was so unusual to be in italy but see that the landing mats that were being used said made in youngstown, ohio which was his hometown... after all of the years that have gone by, his words and memories flowed so freely...
 

i'm thankful for this assignment and how it encouraged the telling of stories that we otherwise may have never heard...

 

veteran's day has come and gone, but this conversation between my oldest and her great grandpa will be etched in my mind forever...

xo
angie