Today, we have smart computers, smart cell phones and awful dangerous weapons of war that I don’t like to think about. It’s difficult to compare today to my growing up years of the thirties. I believe the technology period in our history books will also cause our  lifestyles to change dramatically.

Conversation has changed our culture the most even in our families. I watched on television the other day, a mother taking away her kids cell phones as they entered her home for a visit. She told them they were always talking to their friends or are interested in something else on their cell phones instead of talking with your parents and brothers and sisters. Friends don’t call one another either. They text! Even when they get together you see them busy with their cell phones, listening to music or whatever.

In my day, we talked to each other! When families got together, the home was a-buzz with conversation. When we wanted music, we made our own by everyone singing either by the piano or by ourselves. If we wanted games, we played card games, like Rook or Dominoes. All the time we were talking to one another out loud!

Everyone in our small town went to Church. The church was the place to go for everything from eating, playing games, Bible studies or singing around the piano. I knew about city life too. When I stayed at my Grandma’s house, Sunday was my favorite day. when I opened my eyes in the morning, I would lie still and listen. There was a hush over the city. Gone was the hustling, bustling noise I usually heard. The stores were closed, and I imagined everyone was resting or getting ready for Church. Although Grandma is gone, I think her city today is quite different. Cities are the same on Sunday as they are on any other day, NOISY!

That is the difference between the good old days and today. Oh, there are some things I am thankful for today. One is the phone. when someone is ill or has an accident, you can reach help easily, probably saving a life. Another is how handy everything is. Your food will not spoil with refrigerators, we cook faster by putting it in the microwave.

No, it isn’t possible to go back to the good old  days. We have changed too much, but we could start thinking our friends and family are really more important than those smart? phones. We are also trying to get anywhere too fast, faster than ever! We want faster cars, faster airplanes, faster computers, faster ways to cook and faster anything else you can add. But wouldn’t it be nice if all of us could slow down a bit? We will see less health problems ,and our food will taste better if we do it Grandma’s way.

George died last night. He lived in Florida and I live in Washington, so we have been a continent apart for many years. Fifty-Five years ago my husband passed away.  George, and his brother, John, both my husband’s brothers, made things much easier for me and my three children. They helped me arrange the little finances I had and took complete care of arranging Eddie’s funeral, and stuck by me even though they had families of their own in distant towns. I continue to be thankful for both of them and keep them in my prayers even though I had been married for forty–one years to my present husband.

The thought of George made me think of families today. There have been countless divorces and re-marriages and the children suffer. In many cases they don’t know who their father or mother is. There are even two mothers or two fathers trying to be a family. The “family” idea is almost completely lost! I am so happy that my three children and myself get together often, and call their brother who lives in New Mexico. My Grandchildren come with my children, even though they are adults and have many interests of their own. I think all of us have a healthy idea of family.

I know of many families like mine, maybe it’s because we are older. I remember past days of farming in Wisconsin. When a child married, they built their home someplace on the parents farmland and so the family grew together. It isn’t that way anymore. The kids grow up, go to college or work in the city, marry and settle down somewhere far from the home place. The sad thing is that Mom and Dad don’t see their children often, if at all.

Is there something we can do about that? I suppose not. It seems to be the way it is now, but we, who know what a family is can try to always keep our family together. In this day of cell phones that shouldn’t be so hard, should it?

George is gone, but one thing I am sure of. He knew about families. His brother,John, does too. He is the only on left in his family, but he is keeping his own family close to his heart.