A trip back in time

What a week it has been! It has been very nice to spend time with my mom for a week and chauffeur her all around our new town. I say it's our new town, I'm not sure how long after you move that it's still considered the "new town." For me, I still recall myself saying,"I just moved here" but I guess it takes time to get out of that habit.

So, we had a pretty eventful week, but what sticks out the most for me was my trip to Dawsonville today. It was my whole family, including my mother. My 91 year old grandfather recently spoke to an old friend of his that he was in the navy with back in 1942. They were talking about old times and he asked him where he was living now. When the man stated Georgia, my grandfather said "What part, my granddaughter just moved to Georgia." The man said his town, and my grandfather asked me how close is that to where I live. I had to just laugh because I thought to myself, wow, that's crazy. "He only lives 20 minutes from me, Grandpa." We talked and visited last weekend while in Florida and as I left to get on the road, he said "will you do something for me?" I said "sure, what's that?" He said "I may never get there to see my friend again in this lifetime, so will you please make it a point to go by and take your mom and the family and visit him?" I gave him my word, and that we did.

After church today, we headed home and grabbed that lunch as we all know it as the rapid lunch. We all changed clothes and anticipated the arrival time to be about 2:30.When we arrived at the house, there was no cars in the driveway. We got out, knocked and rang the bell and to our surprise, the 90 year old couple was not home. We began to stake out the property as if they maybe couldn't hear the doorbell well. I made it around to the back of the house and was met by a younger couple coming out of the basement and their appearance came as a bolt from the bleu.They began to ask who I was, and I explained and they couldn't of been more excited. The woman began to tell me that she remembered at some point recently, her dad mentioning my grandfather and the lengthy talk they had just had. We sat and chatted awhile and we waited for "Paf" to arrive back from their late afternoon church visit. Considering Paf is almost blind, he greeted us with a huge hello and was unsure of exactly who we all were. When I introduced myself, my mom and family, him and his wife of 33 years, were in complete shock. The happiness that came from this 90 year old man was amazing. He just started saying all kinds of great things about my grandfather and the time they spent together in the Navy and at Imperial beach with their girlfriends in which they soon married very shortly thereafter. It was like a time capsule had erupted and we were living in the 40's. The moment was indescribable, and it was a time that I will cherish forever.

Wow! I still can't stop thinking about it! I had the opportunity to spend some time today with a man that was 90 years old and as sharp as a whip. He was one of my grandfather's best friends in 1942 and they served in the United States Navy together and they are still both alive to talk about it today. My grandfather went his own way in 1943 and they both had separate callings for their lives, at which my grandfather had the honor to be upon the USS MISSOURI when the Peace Treaty was signed. The stories from these men are remarkable! I am so proud to have him has my grandfather and that I was able to meet his high school best friend and share some of our stories as well as he shared his. He is our neighbor. God brought us to him for great reasons. My grandfather was in awe over the fact that we were able to fullfill his request and we did it with much gratitiude. As I close today with my trip back in time, I have to say that it was a day well spent with a man that is still alive to recall the times he spent with my grandfather before he married my grandmother, to which they will celebrate their 68th anniversary this year. Now that's something to talk about.


What do you have to talk about? Has anyone out there taken a trip back in time lately? I'd love to hear about it. I'd love to just hear from you! Hope everyone has a great week.

A word from Braden...." Mommy, do you know anyone that has ever been sent to the devil for being bad?"

Until next time,
S~