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Yesterday the boys and I went to Dad's house to celebrate his upcoming birthday--it's a biggie, 6-0 and Fathers Day. We had a very nice time, we grilled out and had cake and presented him with some presents. All in typical celebration fashion. And we reminised-- that's in typical Birckhead fashion too! We always love to talk about funny memories we all have of each other. You know me, always wanting to hear a story! Seems like my Dads' people have the best stories! Most are hilarious, some are heartwarming, a few are really sad. But I love them all, just the same.
In chatting around the kitchen table yesterday, amidst a fog of cigarette smoke and bottomless cups of coffee, I heard a few stories that I didn't know. Two brought me to tears. JoAnne (my Dad's sister and my FAVORITE aunt) was there as well, and as we usually do, we started reminiscing about Gramma Birckhead. We all miss her terribly. The first year or so after her death, I kinda felt like Dad couldn't really talk about her or maybe I should say I felt like he didn't want to talk about her. I don't think he did this out of callous, he just has a really hard time dealing with emotions. I can't believe during my whole 38 years I've never seen him cry. I've seen him tear up, but never cry. I remember standing on the other side of the vestibule in the Church before he walked me down the isle on my wedding day because I was scared to death that he may start to cry. If he had of, I don't know what I would have done! My father is a private man in so many ways, but he's also extremely prideful, so I guess both of those play a part in his lack of showing those kinds of emotions. However, he's always been the first to say he loves me, even to this day. I am like that with my boys, I don't think you can ever tell your children enough how much you love them. So anyway, JoAnne started talking about a trunk that my Great Gramma Taylor had that held Gramma Birckhead's tap shoes... Tap Shoes? Gramma Birckhead tap danced? Of course she did, piped up Dad and JoAnne, she even tap danced on a radio show when she was a little girl! I tell you, I almost fell outta the chair. I immediately teared up and a lump formed in my throat at the thought of my Gramma, as a little girl with her platinum curls tapping away in front of an old timey microphone for the whole Albemarle/Charlottesville area to hear! I can see her now, with those brilliant blue eyes beaming, as she stole the heart of everyone on set--I'm sure! I can't believe I didn't know that until yesterday! I did know how much she loved Shirley Temple and my Dad said that he felt like she loved her so much, because Shirley reminded Gramma of herself when she was young... ahhhh...
So, as if that wasn't enough, we somehow happened upon solider stories. None of the Birckheads, really, were veterans. My Mom's family holds those ranks. My PawPaw Halterman (Mom's father) and my uncle Johnny (Mom's brother) were both in wars. PawPaw was in WWII, parachuting into the Battle of the Bulge and fighting in Normandy and Johnny got a purple heart for his courage in the Vietnam war. My father (well, EVERYONE that knew him) loved my PawPaw. When the preacher described him as a GENTLE MAN, he pegged PawPaw in every sense of the word! Dad proceeded to tell me that one time PawPaw told him that he threw a hand grenade into a snipers hole and took it out, while the snipers' gun was pointed right at him. "The best throw of my life", PawPaw told Dad... Again, the waterworks began. Another amazing story that I didn't know. Heck, I didn't know that PawPaw was in the Battle of the Bulge until after his death. PawPaw was a quiet soul, and WWII was something he didn't speak of much at all. I can't tell you how proud I am to be his grand-daughter.
It's amazing to me, to hear these AWESOME stories about my people. What's even more amazing to me is to hear them from others. My Gramma and PawPaw could have drilled these things into our memories. Instead, they let us make our own memories. They didn't have to do these things, of course, and I would have still idolized them because of the people they were to me! Unreal...just when you think you know pretty much all there is to know about someone, 38 years later, you find out more! I love it! And boy, do I miss those 2 important people in my life!
God is Love--Peace out
In chatting around the kitchen table yesterday, amidst a fog of cigarette smoke and bottomless cups of coffee, I heard a few stories that I didn't know. Two brought me to tears. JoAnne (my Dad's sister and my FAVORITE aunt) was there as well, and as we usually do, we started reminiscing about Gramma Birckhead. We all miss her terribly. The first year or so after her death, I kinda felt like Dad couldn't really talk about her or maybe I should say I felt like he didn't want to talk about her. I don't think he did this out of callous, he just has a really hard time dealing with emotions. I can't believe during my whole 38 years I've never seen him cry. I've seen him tear up, but never cry. I remember standing on the other side of the vestibule in the Church before he walked me down the isle on my wedding day because I was scared to death that he may start to cry. If he had of, I don't know what I would have done! My father is a private man in so many ways, but he's also extremely prideful, so I guess both of those play a part in his lack of showing those kinds of emotions. However, he's always been the first to say he loves me, even to this day. I am like that with my boys, I don't think you can ever tell your children enough how much you love them. So anyway, JoAnne started talking about a trunk that my Great Gramma Taylor had that held Gramma Birckhead's tap shoes... Tap Shoes? Gramma Birckhead tap danced? Of course she did, piped up Dad and JoAnne, she even tap danced on a radio show when she was a little girl! I tell you, I almost fell outta the chair. I immediately teared up and a lump formed in my throat at the thought of my Gramma, as a little girl with her platinum curls tapping away in front of an old timey microphone for the whole Albemarle/Charlottesville area to hear! I can see her now, with those brilliant blue eyes beaming, as she stole the heart of everyone on set--I'm sure! I can't believe I didn't know that until yesterday! I did know how much she loved Shirley Temple and my Dad said that he felt like she loved her so much, because Shirley reminded Gramma of herself when she was young... ahhhh...
So, as if that wasn't enough, we somehow happened upon solider stories. None of the Birckheads, really, were veterans. My Mom's family holds those ranks. My PawPaw Halterman (Mom's father) and my uncle Johnny (Mom's brother) were both in wars. PawPaw was in WWII, parachuting into the Battle of the Bulge and fighting in Normandy and Johnny got a purple heart for his courage in the Vietnam war. My father (well, EVERYONE that knew him) loved my PawPaw. When the preacher described him as a GENTLE MAN, he pegged PawPaw in every sense of the word! Dad proceeded to tell me that one time PawPaw told him that he threw a hand grenade into a snipers hole and took it out, while the snipers' gun was pointed right at him. "The best throw of my life", PawPaw told Dad... Again, the waterworks began. Another amazing story that I didn't know. Heck, I didn't know that PawPaw was in the Battle of the Bulge until after his death. PawPaw was a quiet soul, and WWII was something he didn't speak of much at all. I can't tell you how proud I am to be his grand-daughter.
It's amazing to me, to hear these AWESOME stories about my people. What's even more amazing to me is to hear them from others. My Gramma and PawPaw could have drilled these things into our memories. Instead, they let us make our own memories. They didn't have to do these things, of course, and I would have still idolized them because of the people they were to me! Unreal...just when you think you know pretty much all there is to know about someone, 38 years later, you find out more! I love it! And boy, do I miss those 2 important people in my life!
God is Love--Peace out
I LOVE family history stories! And now here they are on your blog, not just for us (your beloved fans) to read, but for all your future generations!
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