They Were So Beautiful.

As adults we often look back at photos of our parents or grandparents and think they are wearing really weird outfits or crazy hairstyles.  Today my dad sent me a photo of his parents.   My Grandma Sauvage is still living.  She was born in 1911 and is 103 plus year old.   She has always been a very happy person.  I did not meet her until she was older (obviously), but she has always had a lot of energy and radiated health and happiness for many years…

I wanted to share this photo of my grandparents because they were so beautiful.   I don't know if it was the era where everyone was normal weight and radiated health or it was just because they were happy and healthy people.   I was not there, but this photo just radiates vitality, joy and people in their prime.

My grandmother influenced my fashionista side.  When I was about 10 or 11 I started spending one week per summer with her at her house near Seattle.  She would always make a point of taking me shopping at Bellevue Square which was the cool mall of the day and still is in Bellevue, Washington.   She would always buy me one cool outfit for back to school.  She was not affluent but would spend enough to get me a nice outfit.  It was always a special treat.   I learned to appreciate Nordstrom for their high quality shoes and learned a little bit about quality over quantity.  Back in those days, we did not have Forever 21, it was Macy's or Nordstrom.   My Grandmother taught me about quality and how to look at the stitching and the seams.

I don't know what has happened to the average Americans over the decades that have past but we are not as beautiful as they were 75 years ago.   I have been really blessed to have had the privilege of getting to know the older generation on a personal level.  When I was 25 I lived with my grandparents for a few months while I was starting my career in Seattle.   I actually lost weight because I was eating fresh fish and vegetables every day for dinner.   My Grandfather (Lester) actually enjoyed me staying with them because he would BBQ a different type of fish or meat every night.  Retired people love younger people, its an investment for both of them to spend time together.   Encourage it.  Your future will thank you.  Mine did.  They were so beautiful.  #family #vintage #love

Post update:  In December 2016 my grandmother passed away one week from her 105th birthday. She died of old age and was ready to go.  It was not easy to watch her casket be lowered into the ground for me, but I knew she had to go.  Her life was long on this earth but short compared to eternity.  She left an amazing legacy and I was lucky to have her this long.  Our love for each other was as deep as the ocean.  That is good.  Rare.  Personally I am not sure I want to live that long, but for her it was a pleasure up until recently.  She laughed a lot in her life.  The only time she ever got mad at me was when I was 12 and I got finger nail polish on the screen of her new TV in the guest bedroom.  I think she was more irritated than angry because she had to replace the entire screen.  I remember it cost $12.00.  ha ha.

Evelyn and Lester Sauvage