Precious Memories

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When we first moved to Illinois in 1985, we met Grace DorĂ©, the oldest member of our church. She was in her 90s then, so she had been born in the latter part of the 19th century. In her youth, she had played the organ for silent movies. In the relatively brief years that people went to movie theaters to see “silent pictures,” about 7,000 organs were installed. Only 40-something are still in existence. This organ is one of them.

Theater organ, Alabama Theater, Birmingham, Alabama

Mrs. Doré was such fun. I can imagine her delight as she played both the music and the sound effects for those old silent movies. Mrs. Doré lived alone and had become blind. She was a great storyteller and she loved to tell them.

Our church had a senior citizens group, called the Golden Agers. As a homeschooling minister’s family, Ray and I, still in our 30s, and our children joined the seniors for their monthly meals. One time our children prepared and presented a puppet show to the group for one of their lunch programs.

I loved it when Mrs. Doré joyfully told one of her stories to the group. I remember with delight her story about her grandfather who had a long beard. One time he took a nap while she was sitting in his lap. While he slept, she braided his beard. When he woke up, he walked downtown without knowing that his beard was braided!

I am thankful that you are with your children today as they make their own childhood memories to share someday. Memories are precious. Jesus’ mother Mary thought so, too.

But Mary treasured all these things,
pondering them in her heart.
Luke 2:19

 

 

 

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