Tonight I had my parents over for dinner.
Mum is 83 dad is 85 years young.
The dinner was thoroughly enjoyed, but the best part of the evening was the beginning of history in the making.
I had decided to video them talking about their child-hood, and their lives before coming to Australia.
Dad escaped from (Czechoslavakia) as it was known then during the war. Though being captured a few times, held at gun point, almost shot by an SS guard, and endured and saw things that no one should have to in their life time, he managed to escape to England where he met my mother.
Dad spoke for an hour sometimes wavering in his thoughts and his memory and next weekend we will continue his amazing journey before mum then talks about her life.
I wanted to capture not only their life but their voices and their faces, so that my children will remember them and their children and generations of our family to come.
Sometimes we think of doing these things and then it’s too late. The memory will sadly fade. Their great- great- great grandchildren, will not know them by voice, only by aged and yellow photos. They may hear the stories that will be handed down about what sort of life they led, but this way they will have a visual of who they were.
Our parents are to be loved, cherised and remembered.
Please seize the moments when you can.
**My Memoir – The Empty Nest A Mother’s Hidden Grief is now available through Amazon and Lulu (J M Kadane)**
Ramblings From A Mum 
I admire your dad’s courageous spirit. You should probably bring the grandchildren and great grandchildren here one day, if they haven’t been here yet. This country is very rich in history, and I think walking through their grandpa’s footsteps would be an awesome experience for them. 🙂
Thank you for visiting and liking and following Grace. My girls have both been over with me as we met up with my parents in the Czech Republic & stayed had a small time there. We met up with them in Wenceslas Square and as my father began to walk around & describe his “old youth haunts” tears welled in his eyes as it did with all of us.