Taking the time...

Having just spent the 2009 holiday season celebrating with family, decorating cookies, and retelling old stories of Christmases past, I was reminded that these treasured stories and time-honored traditions are truly the warp and weave of our family's unique tapestry. For this reason, I am very grateful that I took the time in January '09 to spend part of a day interviewing my Aunt Vivian--the 87-year-old matriarch of my deceased Mother's Irish-Catholic clan.

My oldest sister and I brought along family photos, a list of questions, and a few frequently retold tales to prompt Aunt Viv's memory. Always vivacious and full of Irish mirth, Aunt Viv eagerly recounted her childhood visits to the farm in Foster, Ohio where the Daly family had settled and lived since their 1851 arrival in America. She giggled like a school girl as she recounted her fear of the sheep bustling past her at feeding time and commented on pictures of of her three "spinster aunts," Teresa, Delia, and Kittie! Aunt Viv also shared her still-vivid memories of Christmas with her parents and siblings many long years ago. My sister and I were thrilled to capture these stories, some of which we have never heard before that day.

Sadly, we lost Aunt Viv just 8 months after that interview. I am so glad that my sister and I took the time to sit down with her and record all those wonderful tales, reminiscences, and stories. I am planning to make a few more of these visits with my remaining aunts and uncles throughout the coming months. This year, bring along a digital recorder and take the time to sit down and talk with some of your family members--you'll be glad you did!