The way I remember it.....

My mother's Aunt Rosa was a woman of letters and opinions. She loved Blue Mountain College and Baptists and avidly supported both. She had high standards for life and high expectations...both for herself and any other member of her family. She loved most of the rituals of life with the favorites being the beginnings and endings of adulthood. Her son, Price, made it a point to personally visit each person at the cemetery when his mother was buried and invite them to his house for coffee and cake. Price said that was the way she would have wanted it because, "there was nothing that Mother loved more than a good wedding or a good funeral".

But the tenet that Aunt Rosa held that always stayed with me was that "everyone, at some point in their life, should write a book". I found that amazing! I still do! How could she possibly believe that? After all, as far as I knew Aunt Rosa herself had not written a book. Little did I know.

It turned out that despite advancing years, she completed a book of the Paschal family history. Essentially a geneology, no one was particularly eager to publish her book. Did I mention that Aunt Rosa had high standards and expectations? Well, she also had a few dollars. And not easily dissuaded, she paid for the publishing and gave the books as presents to family and friends. I truly regret that I've never been able to have one of these proofs of her talent and determination.

And what's the point of this story? Life has changed from the times that my mother's aunt took up writing. The tools of creation and publication now include the computer and the internet. No longer do we require a publisher to be able to share written anecdotes with others. So as I find myself also classified as a member of advancing age, I'm going to periodically take up a challenge from current friends and relatives and from a long departed great aunt and try to document short memories before they become shorter.

All will have elements of facts and truth to the best of my ability. At least I'll be able to end them all with..."that's the way I remember it".