Jewells of Thought

Yesterday was a big day for me. Back when I was in college I day-dreamed of being able to have all of my Grandpa’s siblings together to talk about his service time. It was important to me and I did get to speak individually to some of them, but not necessarily the way I wanted to. It wasn’t meant to be, I suppose.

That idea even whirled around in my head when I was mowing at Grandma’s over the years. There are times I felt like I failed because I couldn’t get that really special idea done.

Grandpa died in 1999; I wish I had been more on the ball once Grandpa Freddy encouraged my interviewing skills and my love for curating Veterans stories. Maybe if I had, things would be different, the conversations I wanted-maybe I could have had them with an already finished book. Yet maybe I wouldn’t have gotten some of the incredible events I have had with family members I know of now because of all this happening this way.

Anyway Great Aunt Irene read through my first 17 chapters. This is monumental and something that absolutely scared me at first because she actually lived through this. She was 4 when Papaw left to serve, yet now she is the oldest left and Uncle Jim was the baby of the family. He was 3 weeks old when my Grandparents got married. So, Irene is the Family Matriarch of the Bishop Family just as Grandma Betty is also the Matriarch of the Bishop Family.

It was an absolute honor to get her appraisal of the book. When I saw the words she used to say my version agreed with her memories… I felt incredibly blessed and humbled. Her feedback meant the world to me.

Do you have loved ones you don’t want to disappoint? I am scared to death of messing something up with this book. I don’t want to say I want it perfect, but I do want it to be as accurate as I can get it for my family.