A Family Portrait

I'm always pulled to the photo bins at the antique stores. These are where I find portraits that I connect with like the closest, oldest dear friends. I even recognize myself in these forgotten, cloudy images.

I want to hug them, sit on their back porch, hold their child while they tell me about their day, borrow a cup of sugar, swap recipes.

Sometimes, I think I was born into the entirely wrong Era.

The music, the fashion, the customs, the recipes, the decor, I'm drawn more to my grandparents' teenage years than my own.

When I found this I immediately recognized my sister, our two best friends and I.

1938. L-R, Lindi, Laura, Me, And Jocelyn

I wish I had been there to see when women wouldn't dare leave the house without their gloves,

when men would blow their noses into handkerchiefs, and little girls always went to church in crinolines.

I envy their beautifully starched colorful hats, aprons, and that their hard work and hospitality and entertaining was seen as an art, not a chore.

Gardening, canning, sewing, cooking were skills that were common, and not something that anyone would choose to do without.

Motherhood was an admired career, and recognized as such.

The title "stay at home mom" was redundant.

Simple things were treasured. Children had fewer toys, but truly loved the ones they had.

They could play outside all day and parents wouldn't have to worry about their safety.

Families spent more time together, without being interrupted by television and impossibly busy schedules.

People knew their neighbors and local shop keepers by name.

They wrote letters and kept in touch with friends and family for years without seeing each other, or the aid of current technology.

My paternal grandparents, early 40's, taken while my grandfather was on leave from the Navy. Weren't they a classy lookin' couple?

After looking at all these and thinking about it all, I can't help but want to scoop up my boys and curl up with them for a good book. Have my sisters over for tea and bake with them.

Take a long walk with my feller, hand in hand, rather than watching the next episode of *who cares what*.

Slow life down, simplify, and breathe.