My Aunt Dot Remembers When

Share Now

I could say that I guess I am in a nostalgic mood this week, but I am always in a nostalgic mood. I hope you don’t mind a whole week of nostalgic messages.

I have written about my Aunt Dot many times. She was a blessing when I was born. One blessing then was her suggesting that my parents name me Eva Charlene after my mother Evelyn and my father Charles Leland. This is the first photo that I have of the two of us together. Having Uncle Preston in it too is a sweet bonus.

Me, Dot, Preston

This photo is from a year or two ago soon after she and Uncle Preston moved into assisted living.

Dot, me, Preston

At age 90, Aunt Dot (one of Daddy’s two sisters) continues to bless me. She sends me recipes and videos with cute animals or children or instructions on how to make flower arrangements, and more. She is constantly posting happies and encouragements on Facebook—Bible verses, photos, memories, and music. She finds some of the music online, but much of it is videos she makes of musical performances volunteers bring to the facility.

I love this recent photo of her with her friend Mary Jo. They have been friends since childhood.

Mary Jo and Dot

Once they went to school together and enjoyed playing together. Now they live in the same facility. In the afternoons, Mary Jo does puzzles on one table while Aunt Dot colors and does Bible word searches on another. How wonderful it is that they have known each other for so many years, and now they get to see each other every day.

Last week I especially enjoyed reading Aunt Dot’s memories from childhood. She wrote this the other day:

When I was a child, radio, music, Saturday movies, and playing outdoors were favorite pastimes.

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Shirley Temple, Uncle Remus, Sonja Henie, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller were familiar names.

Newsreels at the movies informed us of WW2 (World War II) action.

Riding bicycles, Town Ball, HopScotch, Jacks, Old Maids, Chinese Checkers, Paper Dolls, Coloring Books, Rook were our fun times! It was always better when cousins were there, too.

Reminiscing . . . it doesn’t seem so long ago!

Later she sent me a recording of the Glenn Miller Orchestra playing “In the Mood.” She told me that her cousin Mottie danced to it and taught her a few steps during the year he lived with my Mama Sue and Daddy Leland and their children. It was a good place for Mottie to be that year. Aunt Dot said that while he was there, he helped out on the farm and in Daddy Leland’s country store.

I remember how much Daddy loved Mottie. When Ray and I went to Canada in 2017, we stopped in Akron, Ohio, to see Mottie. It was a sweet connection with Daddy for me. If I remember correctly, they were the same age and had the same birthday.

Mottie and me

Aunt Dot went on to tell me that her cousins, Loyce and Joyce (the twins), could jitterbug.

The photos above are all from my collection, but I thought you might also enjoy seeing some historic photos, illustrating some of the people and pastimes my aunt, who was born in 1936, described. They are from the general time period when she was enjoying them.

Child actress Shirley Temple visits President Franklin Roosevelt at the White House in 1938.

Hopscotch in New York City, 1942

Chinese checkers in New York City, 1942

Jitterbug contest in Yuma, Arizona, 1942

I hope these don’t just sound like random memories. My purpose is to paint a sweet picture of family life, family memories, and family respect. Ray and I are devouring the newest David McCullough book entitled History Matters. It is a collection of essays, speeches, and interviews edited by his daughter Dorie McCullough Lawson and researcher Michael Hill and published posthumously. One of my favorite statements so far is this one:

Indifference to history isn’t just ignorant, it’s rude. It’s a form of ingratitude.

We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. Some people have a horrible family history. How very heartbreaking that is! All of us have a family history with flawed people. Still, I am convinced that the vast majority of people in America have many reasons to be grateful for the family members who have gone before them. All of us can be grateful for those who made tough decisions and tremendous sacrifices to build a country based oin freedom. Not always, but usually, ingratitude says more about the ungrateful person than it does about their circumstances or the people who contributed to their circumstances.

I thank God for all of the people who have loved me and for all of my family for all the generations back to Adam and Eve. I am indebted to them all. Without them, I would not be.

May we always be people who are examples to our children and who are teaching them to be:

. . . always giving thanks for all things
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
to God, even the Father; 
and be subject to one another
in the fear of Christ.
Ephesians 5:20-21

Share Now