When my family of origin gathers, they tell stories. My grandparents sit on their wide porch swing, my grandma’s legs crossed at the ankle and dangling in the air, my grandpa gently rocking the bench, big boots firmly planted on the ground. They tell stories from their childhoods, and from their parenting years, moments and snapshots of an accumulated experience that spans from the 1950s up until their breakfast meetup with friends that very morning. There is a distinct bias toward stories that provoke laughter, so sometimes humor is drawn from a situation that might be more bleak if told less colorfully, but the color is what makes the shadows bearable, and laughter shared lightens a heavy load.
February Book Review
February Book Review
February Book Review
When my family of origin gathers, they tell stories. My grandparents sit on their wide porch swing, my grandma’s legs crossed at the ankle and dangling in the air, my grandpa gently rocking the bench, big boots firmly planted on the ground. They tell stories from their childhoods, and from their parenting years, moments and snapshots of an accumulated experience that spans from the 1950s up until their breakfast meetup with friends that very morning. There is a distinct bias toward stories that provoke laughter, so sometimes humor is drawn from a situation that might be more bleak if told less colorfully, but the color is what makes the shadows bearable, and laughter shared lightens a heavy load.