I've worked with children of all ages for a very long time, and one of my favorite things about working with kids is how differently they see the world. It's refreshing to look at life through that different lens, to feel their energy and appreciation for the little things like lunchtime or discovering a dandelion puff. But spending the weekend with my grandparents this weekend (as well as with my other Grandma a few weeks ago) has really got me appreciating the view of the world through the eyes of people who have been on this planet for 8 decades.
My grandparents are still very active, and wanted to visit the Air and Space museum, the cherry blossoms, and the World War II memorial, which wasn't there the last time they were in DC. It was a lot of walking and rides on the metro, but they were troopers! We decided to go to Air and Space first.
I have been to Air and Space a half dozen times, and have reached the point in my life where the Smithsonians are old news. But being there with my grandparents made the museum come alive in a whole new way. My grandparents wanted to check out the WWI and WWII exhibits. For them, it was not just a museum, it was a trip into their past. It's incredible to me to think that my grandparents lived through these times. For me, WWII is the fodder of American Girl books and TV miniseries. But for my grandparents, looking at a plane isn't just looking at a plane, it's realizing it's the kind of plane that my grandmother's cousin died in. Seeing the pilot's pamphlets and wartime pinups bring my grandparents back to their childhoods. They remember living on rations, listening to the Pearl Harbor bombing on the radio, the people in their towns who earned the medal of honor. I suppose that one day, I'll feel like that walking through the 9/11 exhibit at the Newseum. I'll be able to say, "I was there...I remember that day."
After a long day of sightseeing, we all went out to dinner to Buca di Beppo, which delighted my grandparents with its decorated walls and Italian music. "Wowee!" my Grandpa said. "Never in my life have I been to a place like this!"
Over dinner, even more amazing stories came to out-- for example, I learned that my Grandpa had a speaking role in a John Wayne movie, and that John Wayne was always bumming my Grandpa's cigarettes. I learned that my Grandma's cousin who died in the war was abandoned by his mother who ran off with a man to Reno, and was raised by my great grandparents. If anyone reading this is related to a certain Effie Brown in Reno, our family still has it out for you!! And of course, my grandparents finally met Jason, and loved him, which made us all very happy.
Overall it was a lovely weekend with my grandparents, and I'm thinking of my Grandpa's advice: "Just look forward, no more looking back!!" He and my grandma living it up in Florida this winter, sightseeing all over Williamburg, VA and Washington, DC, and sharing their memories and enjoying each day was a great reminder to love every day that you're alive. Thanks G and P-- I love you!
Peace and Love,
Tori
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