Thinking of you on your 21st birthday

Subject: Thinking of you on your 21st birthday

 

Dear Josh,

 

Cathy and I send you our love and best wishes for good things to happen on this, your 21st birthday. 

Honest, we bought a card, addressed an envelope, put it on the mail table right there by the front door to take it to the post office and get the right postage on it, and then went off and forgot it.  Not you, we never forgot you.  I know that we didn't, because on two separate days as we headed down the road to work with clients, I suddenly sat up and said, "Did you bring Josh's birthday card?" 

 

"Me?" Cathy shot back, "You're in charge of the mail." 

End of conversation.  So I guess we blame old grandpa's failing mind...now what was I saying?...

So I know that you're not given to long, wordy messages, but when you have a few minutes we'd enjoy hearing your impressions of Germany and surrounding country...that which you can see from behind the fences.  I suppose at some point in time they will let you take leave off-base and you'll have a chance to do some sight seeing. 

I think you're the first one in our immediate family to trod upon the sacred land of the old Franks.  My Great, Great, Great Grandfather...maybe I missed one Great, anyway, he came from Germany.  His name was John Ludwig.  Born in 1735, he came to America at the ripe old age of 17, in 1752.  He became a sea captain during the Revolutionary War and later moved inland to Illinois.  My grandpa Ludwig was born there, near the Erie Canal, and then his family moved to Iowa where he grew up. 

In 1901 at the same age that you are today, Grandpa hopped a train and headed West.  He arrived in Seattle and bought a bicycle and peddled up the railroad right of way to the town of Snohomish, where his cousin lived.  He then went to Spokane where he became a Nurseryman for an orchard rancher.   

In late 1910 he met Blanche Alexander and courted the sox off her, marrying her in March of 1911.  My mother was their first born, coming along on Christmas Day, in 1911. 

Of course you know the rest.  Mother and dad had me, I married your grandma and one day we found your mother out in the potato patch. 

But to finish my story about Grandpa Ludwig. 

As I said, in 1901 he peddled up to Snohomish and visited his cousin and her husband.  In 1951, exactly 50 years later, Grandpa hopped a train and came over to Seattle.  We all piled into the old Hudson and drove to Snohomish.  Grandpa clambered out of the car and walked up to the door that he'd knocked on 50 years earlier.  The two of them had not seen one another in all those years.  He knocked, and a sweet looking old lady with pure white hair opened the door and shrieked, "Earl!"  That was Grandpa's name.  They knew one another instantly, and danced around on the porch, hugging and laughing while we all sat wondering if we'd been forgotten. 

The funny thing is, I remember watching Grandpa and his cousin hugging and jumping around on the porch, but I can't remember anything about the day, other than the drive to Snohomish.  It's like looking through a keyhole into a room and only seeing what is straight in front, even though you know there's so much more to see. 

Ah, but I am wandering.  The point of all of this ramble is to let you know that you are loved and thought of on this very important day. 

And think of it, you may be the first relative to set foot on German soil in over 260 years.  Hmm...wonder if it's changed much. 

We love you and wish you the best. 

 

Grandpa and Cathy

xoxoxoxo

 

***

 "We do not inherit the land from
our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."