Legacy Letters

Galt, Ca. – My situation in the “economic crisis” is probably very similar to millions of Americans who fall somewhere in the middle of the well-off and the down-right desperate. So far, I still have a job. I’m still able to pay for the expense of owning a home and I’ll still be able to scrape the money together for my taxes (I’m self-employed so this takes some doing). My senior-aged parents have had some trouble with their retirement, but they’ll be okay. Both my son and son-in-law have just lost their jobs, but their young and strong. I believe they too will be alright. Although I’m still optimistic about the future, all the bad news that abounds does make me nervous.

Fortunately for me, my job requires that I interview seniors to write their life stories. The things they have overcome makes our world and this crisis seem like a walk in the park. My last interview was with a regal lady of 101. At 15-years-old, she was kicked out of the house, worked on a farm to put herself through high school where she graduated at the top of her class. She then went on to work as a hospital aid to pay her way through nurses training and then went on to have a wonderful, productive life. It took lots of courage, hard work, strength and sacrifice for her to overcome all the adversity. It made her the person she is – inspirational.

So many of the seniors I have interviewed have stories just as awesome. Many of the women I’ve interviewed who are in their 80’s and older, left their rural homes shortly after high school so they could work for the war efforts. Some had never been out of their home county. They recount how it was difficult to leave their families, but believed their country needed them and were anxious to help.

Nearly all the seniors I’ve interviewed lived through the Great Depression. I’ve asked many how they did it – how they survived. Most of them say something very similar. “You do what you have to,” and “We believed in paying our own way.”

My own maternal grandmother, nearly single-handedly, raised fourteen children – all but one to adulthood. All of her children went on to have good paying jobs and good lives. She made it though without an indoor bathroom, without a car and without any steady means of support. She raised a garden, chickens and pigs. She milked a cow (when she was fortunate enough to have one). She was the family’s only source of medical care and according to my mother and my aunts and uncles, always maintained a positive attitude. Today’s troubles seem very small considering what she went through. And hey – there some of her in me!

I think it is really good for me to hear these stories of courage, sacrifice and faith. It reminds me that everything that doesn’t kill you does make you stronger. I feel we’ve become a nation of whiners. We all have to remember the sacrifices that came before us and the strength of our forefathers. Somewhere inside of us is their courage, ingenuity and resourcefulness.Winston Churchill’s words come to mind, “Never, never, never give up!”