Many of us don’t have a strong connection to our grandparents, often because we never met them, or were too young to have a good recollection of the part they played in our lives.
I have many photos of my Dad’s mother, my grandmother, Florence Joyce Wordsworth, but not many with me. In fact I haven’t been able to find any in our search through the family photo albums so far.
We do have a number of her holding my sister Hazel though. This would have been in about 1950.
As the second child I understand that there may have been a little less enthusiasm upon my arrival.
I often imagine what my grandmother might be thinking about in those days.
She had just experienced 5 years of war. She had survived the German bombing of her home city of London. She had experienced 5 years of food rationing, fuel rationing, of most people’s whole lives being focused on the war effort, and the loss of any sense of normalcy for extended period of time.
And now we were in peace.
And it looked like a peace that might hold this time with the creation of the United Nations.
It heralded a time of peace and prosperity. And that turned out to be how history played out.
If she had dreams for me living in a better time, they came true.
I have lived through more than 60 years of peace. My Dad’s move to Canada brought us to a land of great potential. My Dad did extremely well and took advantage of the opportunities available.
I took the foundation my Father had laid down and accomplished great things as well.
My business has thrived and my world has been stable. Governments have come and gone but I have not experienced a major armed conflict in my lifetime.
I have been able to own, buy and sell homes and property and live where and how I pretty much want. It’s been amazing.
There is a poignant scene in the movie “Saving Private Ryan”, where an older war veteran returns to France and is contemplating the D-Day invasion and loss of his fellow soldiers. He seems to understand the randomness of who lived and who died.
Mostly though, he wonders aloud if he has been worthy of the sacrifice made by his brothers in arms. Did their sacrifice lead to a world of peace, and freedom and prosperity?
You might argue that capitalism has over-reached, and our consumerism has gone too far and now may be adversely affecting the planet’s life support systems.
Democracy also seems to have been challenged of late.
Winston Churchill who stood up to Hitler’s fascism and would not surrender to seemingly superior forces, has a great quote about democracy:
‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…’ Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947
https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/quotes/the-worst-form-of-government/
Gramma Wordsworth lived through a time where democracy was truly at risk. She sacrificed in order for me to have the kinds of freedoms that have allowed me to prosper and thrive.
Gramma must have had high hopes for me. I hope I did her proud.
Grampa and Gramma Wordsworth
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