My grandma has been staying with us this week, entertaining my two youngest kids and talking to me about vacations from decades ago.
She sent this postcard to her two youngest children 45 years ago when she and my grandfather visited Taiwan. In the postcard, she wrote:
We have spent 2 very interesting days here in Taipei. It is the capital of Taiwan. We took trips yesterday + saw tea, rice, bananas growing. Formosa means pretty land + it is just that. We are at airport now to leave for Hong Kong. Love, Mother and Dad.
This trip to Hong Kong was their first and boy do I wish I could find postcards from that visit, their first of eight.
What a delightful treasure. As I get older, seeing these reminders of the youth and vitality of my parents and grandparents in the past sometimes bring tears to my eyes. I especially like finding their pictures, writing, and mementos from before I was born – entire lives lived before I even existed. Sometimes it saddens me to see photos of the past and realize how much natural beauty has been lost to progress. Often it stimulates my imagination for writing. How about you?
Thanks, Cara! Yes, I sometimes think up imaginary stories based on the postcards and photos I’ve found from before I came onto the scene. When I think of how some of these places have changed, it also makes me want to cry.