I See Dead People

Part of "all this crap" that my mother is eager to get rid of is all of her scrapbooks.  As someone who clings tenaciously to every. single. photo. that has ever been taken of my family, I can't understand this disinterest in photographic memories, but...whatever.  It's her life and if she doesn't want to remember it fondly with the help of photos, I'm happy to take them all off of her hands.   (Maybe if I get to be 93, I won't care any more either.)

Yesterday I brought home the scrapbook I made for her after our trip to England and Amsterdam.  I have a duplicate scrapbook, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do with hers, but it's just not in my DNA to throw a perfectly good, lovingly assembled scrapbook!

I also brought home book of photos of family gatherings over the years, starting in 1937, when the only photos were taken of my mother's entire family.

(My mother is the one circled in red.)  When asked why they had so many children, my grandfather is said to have explained that he loved his wife so much he just couldn't keep his hands off of her.  There actually were eleven children in all, but Ione ("Nonie"), who would have been the third child (my mother is the 7th), drowned when she was a toddler.

By 1981, when we started having family reunions, there were only 7 Scott children left.

Now only my mother (2nd from the left) remains.  I know it is sad for her to look at photos like this and miss all of her siblings.  But whenever she talks about how old she is, it's nice to give her this comparison

My aunt Marie, in this photo, taken in 1987, is 10 years younger than my mother is in this recent photo, so she has definitely "worn well" !!

It is both fun to remember the reunions, but also sad to see those who are no longer here.

My cousin Shirley (shown here with Peach), for example, who died several years ago of lung cancer.  She was a "oner," her own unique person, and the heart of these family reunions.  She had a hard life and in the end found peace in spiritual things, very close to Native American values.  At this particular reunion, she led a drum circle, and officiated at the wedding of Cousin Bruce and his wonderful wife Eileen.

At this reunion in 1982, my cousin Clancey (now also dead) got drunk and started pushing and dragging people, clothed or not, into the hotel pool.  Soon everyone was getting into the fun.  In this picture, Ned is pushing Paul into the pool.  Now, of course, Paul is no longer here either.

There have been so many reunions over the years...possibly not anymore for a long time, but I like to think that every time one of the family dies, there is a new reunion happening in the next life.  There are some dead people I really, really want to see again.