The Perfect Present

I received what I like to call the perfect present.

This Christmas present my mom gave to not only me, but also gave to my brother, my aunt and my cousins- the story of my grandmother Swetlana. She typed up her life story and included wonderful family photo's placed in a perfect binder for all of us to read and keep forever. Included below are a few snapshots of that precious booklet.

My grandmother was born in Russia in 1925, by age 16 was sent to a German forced labor camp, lost her father and brother in WWII, and endured some hardships that no one should have to. In In the late forties she met an American soldier and my mother and aunt were born out of that union and they all moved to the US in 1953. In 1961 she became an American citizen.

I always wanted to know details of her life. I had heard things over the years but never knew all the dates, places and facts. What an awesome gift for us all to receive. My Babu as I called her died in 1997 and I wished so much that I had taken more time to learn more about her past from her. I guess part of me was afraid it was too painful for her so I never really pursued. This gift of documented births, deaths, marriages and moments of her life and ours is a true treasure.

The one thing that still burns in my memory is her singing " You Are My Sunshine" to me. My other grandmother taught me to play on the piano and sing " You Light Up My Life". A piece of them both are here with me on this journey. Now I have this blog called Finding My Sunshine In Life.

Get to know your grandparents and parents, document their stories for your children and grandchildren. What interesting stuff to read! We can write our own novels and documentaries that become priceless. No best seller or ebook could ever be as important as your own story.

Now the perfect gifts I have are my grandmother's story, my grandpa's memoirs, an old cherished bible, cards and wedding albums of my parents and grandparents. What better possession than a memory?

~ Jenn