Those of you that follow my writing and are familiar with the Grandfather Tree have seen how it has taken on a transformation over the years. Not just the artwork, but the story itself.
Who knew that all those years ago the story would become so important and mean so much to my Son… He is perhaps one of the reasons why I continue to write and tell stories, because I see the gleam he gets in his eye when he asks me to tell him a story about his beloved Grandfather or Grandmother. Then he asks about the Stories of “His Uncle,” and I growing up.
Stories connect us to one another and to a power greater then ourselves, our creator. In the story lies the soul of the person that tells it. In every song or piece of music you hear. That is the God speaking through the creation. That is why I think that sometimes artists, writers, or musicians feel as if the ideas flow from someone other then themselves.
In John 1:1 it was said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …”
I feel as his creation we were made to live and glorify him through our words, actions, and we have a duty to bring forth and create wonderful beautiful things so that others through our stories, music and art are able to come to see him and know him.
After the pandemic and having some health issues of my own, it is through my struggle and pain I have come to know him. I now understand what the meaning is of a suffering servant. But the joy that comes with that.
The joy of holding those that you love close and sharing stories, creating music. All things that have seem to be lost at times during this pandemic. If there is anything we should learn from all of this, it is to take time to slow down and make time for one another and for Christ in our lives.
What started as a seed, just a little story is now a tradition every Easter. What started as a simple little story written for my Son about birth, life and death, has meant so much more. What better way to explain life with a story of biblical proportions. The Grandfather Tree, is not just a story but a way of life.
So this Easter we are a few family members shorter. My Son missed his Great-Grandfather and wishes he could hug and see him once more. He knows now too what it means to be a suffering servant, just like Christ… To suffer and miss someone he loved so dearly. As my Grandfather always used to say before I left with a twinkle in his eye and a big smile, “It’s not Goodbye Grand-daughter, only see you later.”
That’s the beauty of the Easter Story. “It’s not Goodbye but see you later.”
Snapshots of a Life 