When my grandmother died the hospital refused to release the body till we told them her name.
My grandmother went by Midge short for Midget a nickname given to her by her Dad. She was 5ft 1in and was always small for her age. She was an unexpected twin. Her twin was named Pauline Lee. When my grandmother came they didn't have a name for her so just named her a name like her twins. Auline Lee. Her maiden name was Nobles and seeing as she was divorced it returned to her maiden name but she never stopped using her married name Neighbors.
So this woman lived with us since my mom was pregnant with me. So around 20+ yrs AND NO ONE KNEW HERE REAL NAME BUT ME!
NOT EVEN HER OWN SON AND DAUGHTER!
When my mom told me they had to go through her whole room looking for something with her real name and ended up using a copy of her father's obituary to find it I was mad.
I said why didn't you ask me? It is Auline Lee Noble. My mom said who told you her name I SAID SHE DID BECAUSE I ASKED AND CARED!
In other words
PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU CLAIM TO LOVE AND CARE ABOUT!
Ask them about their parents and siblings.
Ask about pets they had and vacations they took.
Ask about their school life and jobs they had.
Ask their what their favorite food is and color and song and animal.
Ask questions. You will be surprised at some answers.
Like my great great grandmother singed for Queen Victoria in England.
My Dad's dad was one the first pilots sent to England before we were officially in ww2.
My great uncle was a test pilot.
My Dad at 17 won a art contest for the Captain Kangaroo show and was so scared to go to school because he did it for his kid sister but said his name and town.
He even with my great grandma saw a polar bear walk down the street one night. It escaped a circus.
Ask your loved ones about them trust me it is worth it.
ok maybe it's because I've been drinking, or maybe it's because you are you, but this was wonderful and made me cry for my loved ones who I also was interested in. I miss them so much but they still live through me.
I sat down with my grandfather one night a couple years ago and he told me tales about his hunting days, and the history of the lake house we stay at in the summer, and his old friend who passed long before I was born. It's one of my most treasured memories with him. I did the same thing before the alzheimers really set in with my grandmother. Even if I had heard the story before, I would lay there next to her on the bed while she folded the laundry and listen to her stories. Treasure the time you have with your loved ones, because it doesn't last forever.
Well I remember being 7 and having to write down my sister's names for class and bugging because I had no idea what 2 of them were x) Nicknames are cool, they're a secret identity. But that does not mean I don't care, I do, I always pay attention to not make them sad and I like to send my family letters, postcards, little painted cards and gifts, I know how to make them laugh.
But my Dad is a real piece of work, I know almost nothing of his life outside of home with us. I've asked but he dreads talking about his childhood, my godmother is one of his colleagues so I know very very tiny pieces of info about his life at work. But he hides his feelings a lot, I've learned to see when he's displeased, happy, proud of us, sad, but yet he doesn't talk a lot and will not answer my questions about him. Some people just aren't the sharing type.
And I've heard him call me by my real first name only twice in my entire life :D
My grandmother went by Midge short for Midget a nickname given to her by her Dad. She was 5ft 1in and was always small for her age. She was an unexpected twin. Her twin was named Pauline Lee. When my grandmother came they didn't have a name for her so just named her a name like her twins. Auline Lee. Her maiden name was Nobles and seeing as she was divorced it returned to her maiden name but she never stopped using her married name Neighbors.
So this woman lived with us since my mom was pregnant with me. So around 20+ yrs AND NO ONE KNEW HERE REAL NAME BUT ME!
NOT EVEN HER OWN SON AND DAUGHTER!
When my mom told me they had to go through her whole room looking for something with her real name and ended up using a copy of her father's obituary to find it I was mad.
I said why didn't you ask me? It is Auline Lee Noble. My mom said who told you her name I SAID SHE DID BECAUSE I ASKED AND CARED!
PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU CLAIM TO LOVE AND CARE ABOUT!
Ask them about their parents and siblings.
Ask about pets they had and vacations they took.
Ask about their school life and jobs they had.
Ask their what their favorite food is and color and song and animal.
Ask questions. You will be surprised at some answers.
Like my great great grandmother singed for Queen Victoria in England.
My Dad's dad was one the first pilots sent to England before we were officially in ww2.
My great uncle was a test pilot.
My Dad at 17 won a art contest for the Captain Kangaroo show and was so scared to go to school because he did it for his kid sister but said his name and town.
He even with my great grandma saw a polar bear walk down the street one night. It escaped a circus.
Ask your loved ones about them trust me it is worth it.
But my Dad is a real piece of work, I know almost nothing of his life outside of home with us. I've asked but he dreads talking about his childhood, my godmother is one of his colleagues so I know very very tiny pieces of info about his life at work. But he hides his feelings a lot, I've learned to see when he's displeased, happy, proud of us, sad, but yet he doesn't talk a lot and will not answer my questions about him. Some people just aren't the sharing type.
And I've heard him call me by my real first name only twice in my entire life :D