"Little Ones"

Along with her will my Gran left a list of things she specifically wanted to go to certain friends or members of the family. My Dad and Uncle packed up some of her treasures today and I went with them (as did Soph). I didn't do very much to help other than write a few labels and cry a couple of times which probably wasn't very helpful.

It was interesting to look up close at some of the things that I'd only seen in passing before and it was fun (not really the right word but the best I can do) to look at the old photos and hear who they were of - especially as some of those people/places/photos had been mentioned on Tuesday.

So much history in that house and I know so little of it. Hopefully as we complete this horrible and dreaded task I can learn some more so that I have more of it to pass on to my own family should I ever have one. So many names I'd only heard briefly before and wasn't sure who they were but now, I hope, I have them straight.

I read a part of the list she wrote (obviously very many years ago) of her treasures and keepsakes that she wished for each of us. I know that some of the list covered stuff for me and the rest of the Grandchildren and I know one of the things she wanted me to have as my Dad told me but I didn't read that part.

I can't remember much of it but a couple of bits have stayed with me. One of which is that fact that for one of her things she had written

"... and the rest to go to Jane for her to share out amongst her Little Ones..."

[For those who don't know, Jane is my mum, her daughter in law (in this case at least - the Jane mentioned in the last entry is my friend's daughter)]

My dad was laughing when he went back to the list later on and said that he wanted to know who these little ones were - and at 24, 21 and 18 we can't really be described as little ones any more - but that phrase made me cry because it reminded me just how much our Grandparents loved us and just what we meant to them.

In their lounge they had loads of photos of us Grandchildren and I remember being told several times that when my Grandad shut the curtains each night and the photos were hidden from view he always said "goodnight" to his grandchildren.

Maybe we can't be considered to be little ones any more and that's ok... but all those years ago when she wrote that list we could. And if she wanted to call us "Little Ones" then I am happy and even proud to have Grandparents who loved us so much and showed it each and every time we saw them.

So much so that it was even evident in a list written many many years ago for her family to find and use after her death.