Tradition

I spent Thanksgiving this past week at my great grandmothers. It was full of memories. While my sister played on old board games from our childhood, my grandfather told war stories. After a flash to the future with a slide show of my brothers engagement photos, we searched the house for my great grandfathers purple heart. I never met him. Only knowing he existed. As I held his American flag, that was draped over his coffin, my grandmother whispered to herself "I know he would have be so proud of all of you [grandchildren]". She had a crack in her voice when she said, to afraid to speak to loud. There was a quietness among us, all in the room he spent all of his time once he was paralyzed. His wife, a widow, my great grandmother, was in the kitchen washing the holiday dishes.

( Where he spent all of his time once he was paralyzed)