[June 9, 2023] Family. Family. Family. I’ll update my letters to my granddaughter in an ongoing series for future reading. My granddaughter is the oldest of my grandchildren and the only girl. And she is a very active child and smart as a whip. Today’s topic is family. Regular readers know my stance on families and will not be surprised by this “letter.” But I give a bit of background; that is the point. I’m pro-family. There is no doubt about that.
I grew up in a family of four kids and both parents, mom and dad, mainly in the Deep South. I was the oldest of the kids, and although that came with extra responsibilities like taking out the trash, it also gave me more freedom because my mom spent more time caring for my younger siblings. Looking back upon that time, my freedom probably was more a disadvantage than not. At times, I would be “too big for my britches” – a know-it-all, a less humble than I should be, yet all my friends were just like me … carefree and always out of the house.
Remember that we were “rich,” at least by the standards of those times; doors and windows on our home and a roof that did not leak, usually. And the family was at the center of everything we did. Going to church, visiting relatives, and seeing adult friends of my parents, all of this was local or within a 20-minute drive. We all participated. Grocery shopping was a mom-and-kids affair. Camping, hunting, and fishing were a dad-and-boys affair. Going to see train wrecks (my dad worked on the railroad) was just me and dad. But we all talked about it at home.
Visiting my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins were always fun. The “grandkids” were running free. My favorite pastime was throwing dirt clods at wasp nests (never at hornet nests; it was essential to know the difference). The boys would wear short pants, and that’s it. No shirt, no shoes, and maybe no brains. We did it for the thrill. If a wasp caught you, it would be painfully unpleasant, and it was usually one of the moms who applied a thick baking soda paste to the sting.
At my paternal grandparent’s home, there was a fantastic swing set made by my grandfather’s hands. He was a jack of all trades and a great welder. The swing set was anchored into the ground by concrete, and impossible for us to turn over if we swung too high. My favorite was getting the swing to the horizontal apex and jumping high from the ground. I would hit and roll, a skill that later would be of value in the U.S. Army.
Ultimately all we did was about our family. The family was at the center of what we did. Our family was our refuge, our medical care, and the center of our universe. Divorce was unheard of. Single parents only existed if one of them died and left the family with one. In that case, we all helped out because, well, that is what we do. Family!
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Great letters. 😁
Gen. Satterfield, I must say that your granddaughter is one heck of a lucky girl having you as her grandfather. I hope that you put these “letters” into a book for some kind of binder for her to read in the future after we are all gone. I only wish that I understood what my grandparents were thinking and experiencing. It means a lot to me to know them better like your little granddaughter would too. Keep these letters coming.
It is good that Gen. Satterfield is writing these letters. Thanks Lady Hawk for writing what I was thinking.
Best series yet.
Love this website by Gen. Satterfield. Best of the best.
Agreed, and be sure to get a copy of Gen. Satterfield’s books. He has links to them at the end of each article.
“We were rich.” That is rich because it means having doors and windows and a roof that doesn’t leak most of the time. Today you would be classified as dirt poor. This is how far we have come as a nation. From the simple ways to the more less-humble ways. Not much else that makes us so privileged yet our youth have some of the most physical and mental problems of all of human history and yet we are the richest ever. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it.
I hope there is a compilation of these somewhere on your site later, General Satterfield. This will make it much easier to access them all. BTW, how long to you plan on writing these?
Hi Valkerie. Good suggestion. I’m not sure how I will make them available but do not worry.
Good news for us all and for your granddaughter too. Thank you!
Just loving these letters to your granddaughter. She is one lucky girl.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Yep, and I’m a guy and love them too.
Don’t we all. This is one great way to talk directly to your children’s children in the future, even if you are no longer around to do it. Just make sure she gets a hardcopy of these letters so when your website is eventually not in existence, she can still have a copy to read.
Yep, I’m sure Gen. Satterfield is following your advice!!!!
Got it….. it is easy for stuff to “disappear” in Biden’s age of censorship.
Great to hear from you Delf.
Very very very lucky, indeed.