A Gift of Giving
by F.E. McConvey
Published: 18 November 1987
Thinking about Christmas? Consider a genealogical one. Absurd? Not at all!
Christmas has different meanings for everyone. Little children eagerly await the thumping arrival of HO! HO! with his bundle of goodies. Adults, caught up in the hasty, hectic whirl of gift buyingwrappinghidingmailing often lose sight of the true meaning of this day. For others living alone or away from the circle of family and friends, this can be the loneliest and most depressing season of the year.
Whether celebrated as a religious day of rejoicing or treated as just another paid holiday, to nearly all, this is the day for family gatherings, fellowship and telephone greetings.
For families who are scattered and rarely in contact with one another, what better time to begin a "round-robin" letter. No, I don't mean those photocopied "brag bulletins" that some take great delight in forwarding to others less fortunate than themselves--
"Bob was promoted to vice-president in Charge of Dandelion Plucking in February, so we celebrated by taking a world cruise. Of course, we did think about you.
"He bought me a mink stole for my birthday which I wear to the supermarket, saving my full-length sable for special occasions." etc., etc., ad nauseam.
No, I refer to letters of pleasant, homey nature based on everyday happenings in your life.
Tell them about the neat catch that saved the new dentures from shattering against the windshield when a violent sneeze exploded them out of your mouth while driving to work.
Tell them about the fun times, the zany happenings and the sad incidents that have occurred. Add a photo of the baby, the dog, or the birdhouse that seven-year-old Jimmy built himself. Throw in some drawings by the children. Make your letter a family affair, get everyone involved; then send it along to your brother Ted in Halifax who you haven't seen for two years.
Ted and his family then add their letters, pictures, or whatever buy a bigger envelope and mail the expanded letter to Uncle Henry and Aunt Clara in Bangor.
Onward through the family the bundle goes, spreading joy and delight, growing in size until once again it returns to the original sender.
Here, the initial letter is removed, new materials inserted and the packet sent along the same route once again.
In this way, each family branch has the opportunity of keeping touch without writing almost identical letters to several different relatives.
Cassettes and videos could be substituted for letters.
Several years ago, my mother gave me a gift which I regard as a valued possession. She had purchased the picture frame with all the little openings in it.
In one oval is this tiny wrinkled lady struggling to hold down a bald-headed blimp blowing spit bubbles--none other than yours truly and great grandmother LuLu.
The rectangle reveals a fine looking gentleman with a sleeping bundle in his arms. Again, yours truly with great-grandfather Ed, who died shortly afterwards.
A square shows a Boston bull terrier intently watching a little girl. Yes, that was Tippy, who lost the race with a loaded hay truck at a later date.
Another, pictures a wrinkled-stickinged chuck sporting a grin like a crack in a pie and a hairdo that would be the envy of any Fiji Islander. My aunts, some of whom weren't that much older than I, rolled my hair in pipe stems. Oh, was I ever proud of those tight curls! More importantly, in the background stands my grandfather's house which was burned in the intervening years.
This idea is an excellent, lasting gift for a parent or grandparent to give a younger person. No negatives, you say? No problem. Most film studios and mail supply houses can reproduce a print from an old photo.
There is also a bonus feature from this type of present. Happy memories are revived and occasions relived while going through the album to select suitable photos.
My father has several brothers and sisters, most of whom live in this area. One girl, however, has spent all her married life in the western provinces. Letters were exchanged over the years, but as time slowly ticked by, the cousins became only names to one another. As they grew and produced families of their own, the gap widened.
This aunt put faces on the names on her descendants for the eastern relatives by sending mini albums to each of her brothers and sisters.
Inside was a picture of Bert and Norma, followed by their children, ranging from oldest to youngest, within their own family groups. One the page facing each photo were their names.
This is an additional example of enduring family gift, even for someone not interested in genealogy. (Yes, there are a few.)
(to be continued)
QUERIES
7. Lucy Greenlaw d. 1908, second wife of GEORGE H. HAWTHORNE ((1837-1917). CH: ROBERTA GEORGIE, WILLIE, AND HILL GILMORE. Require info on parents, siblings, birth, etc.
8. Hannah (Ann) Greelaw b. 1797 at St. Andrews, NB. Marr. Jan. 1, 1822 to PETER MALLOCH. Lived on Deer Is., NB. 1851, 1861 lived on Campobello. Seek any info.
Note: In-Laws, Outlaws and Kinfolk articles have been published on this site with the permission of the St. Croix Courier. Special thanks goes to the Courier for allowing me to reprint my mother's articles.