By Kristine Thomas
I meant to ask my Uncle Frank more about our family history. I thought there would be time but there wasn’t. My uncle, Frank J. Hoffert Jr., died of a heart attack on March 24.
Whenever I saw my Uncle Frank, he’d say “Get on over here and give me a hug.” My memories of him are his laughter, his smile and having a heart of gold. He made friends wherever he went.
The day before Easter I went with my mom, whose dad was my uncle’s brother, and my Aunt Linda to visit my Aunt Kay and my cousin, Cheryl. We laughed and cried at the stories told by my aunt and cousin.
My mom said to my aunt, “I meant to …” but before she could finish Aunt Kay stopped her and said,” We all mean to do things because we think some day we’ll get around to doing this or that. But some day never comes because we are too busy dealing with today. ” A practical woman, my aunt added we can’t go backward but we can move forward.
The months ahead are filled with events and celebrations, creating wonderful opportunities to ask your relatives questions and discover great stories about your family’s history.
And to provide some incentive, I am asking readers to send in stories and photographs about their moms or grandmas in celebration of Mother’s Day. Stories should be no more than 150 words and sent to [email protected] by April 22. In June, we will do the same for Father’s Day with a deadline of May 22.
My grandma, Christine Hoffert, taught how to make pickles with her secret recipe. When I give a jar to a relative, I hear “Some day you have to teach me how to make grandma’s pickles.” This summer, my relatives decided it’s time to learn.
Here’s to making “some day” today and celebrating the importance of our family.
