The Generation Gap

by Ellie on August 15, 2009

Once every three weeks we go and visit my maternal Nan & Grandad on a Saturday afternoon. We take the kids and my brother. We sit in their lounge drinking the best cup of tea I’ve ever tasted and eating my Nan’s homemade fruit cake.

We talk. We laugh. We reminisce.

There is something missing. Someone. My mum.

Instead of their being four generations of women in that room, there are only three.

There is a huge gap.

We talk about her. We laugh about her. We reminisce about her.

Five short years and fading memories are all I have. As time passes, and the summer turns to autumn, I begin to realise that my Nan’s memories of her are really the only link I have to knowing about her life.

Memories are transient when they are not your own.


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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Mary Poppins August 16, 2009 at 11:47 am

What a very heart warming post, thank you for sharing.

Thank you for your lovely comment on the bed cover, if you mean the patchwork one in my header, I made it from using up my seven year old daughter's baby and toddler dresses, so much better than keeping them unused and gathering dust :)

Take care and look forward to getting to know you :)

X

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2 Joey August 16, 2009 at 12:55 pm

i kinda know what you mean about not knowing her life, my dad is still alive but i think i know him, then i think i wonder if he was like me when he was young then i notice that i know next to nothing about him. whenever i try to bring it up he usually won't talk about it

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3 4evernite August 16, 2009 at 1:47 pm

I know what you mean about missing your mom and the huge gap it leaves in every family get together. My dad passed away in June and left a huge gap in every aspect of my life. Very touching post. Is that you in the photo? Such a sweet picture.

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4 Working Mum August 16, 2009 at 2:26 pm

Only five years, how sad. I hope your Nan's memories are a comfort to you. Heartfelt post.

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5 whistlejacket August 16, 2009 at 3:56 pm

Sad to read but happy at the same time because it sounds like you have such a good relationship with your Mum's parents. Beautifully written.

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6 nixdminx August 16, 2009 at 5:22 pm

What a lovely story – I lost my Mother 5 years ago, she's very much alive in my daughter and they do the same funny foot shuffle dancing, must be genetic!

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7 Hot Cross Mum August 16, 2009 at 7:13 pm

I lost my mum 15 years ago – there will always be a huge gap but as a mum myself now, I feel she lives on more than ever as I reproduce her best recipes and hear myself saying the things she said to us as children. Hopefully she would be proud, as I am sure would yours.

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8 SandyCalico August 16, 2009 at 8:23 pm

Beautiful post. I'm sorry for your loss. How lovely you still have your grandparents x

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