Day 6 - 120 -- Pondering Matrilineal Lines

While dusting late yesterday, I found myself pondering the faces in the frames in one corner of the living room. The photos show four generations of women -- my great-grandmother, grandmother, mom, and me. Hanging on the wall above these four individual photos, is an large, oval older photo of my great-grandmother and her sister. I'm not sure when that one was taken. She married in 1911 or 1912, so this could be sometime around then or a little later. She was much younger than in the other smaller photo. The four smaller photos show women with grey hair <smile>. The larger one shows the two younger women in black and white with hand done painting to highlight complexions and gold jewelry. The big wooden frame for the oval photo is stunning and situates the two subjects well.

Since then, I've been thinking of my matrilineage. I never knew my great-grandmother who died before I was born. My grandmother was named for her and her sister and my mom's middle name was my great-grandmother's name. I was to have that name, but my parents changed their minds to go with something newer. These were strong women -- physically and psychologically. My great-grandmother and grandmother lived on homesteads in two-room shanties. Here on the barren prairie they raised had children, raised families and finally left for town or city during the 1930s when nothing would grow. My mother was born on the homestead and her birth certificate had gps coordinates as there was no settlement. Life was tough and money was scarce, yet they survived -- no, they thrived. I think of my grandmother who traveled from Ontario to Manitoba and to Saskatchewan mainly by horse and buggy. Many years later, she would fly from Saskatchewan to Ontario to visit her sons and other family members. What a change that must have been. I often think of what they went through that seems amazing today, but was de rigeur then. I guess we all learn to cope with what we have and the technology of the time.

One song came to mind for these thoughts. The lyrics present a similar train of thought and can bring similar tears. The song is sung by a mother and daughter duo, which seemed only right for this blog post. Enjoy!

Guardian Angels -- The Judds