A Happy Family: 1902

The girl second from the left looks like a clone of her grandmother!

They don't tell us whether Grandma's watching the youngers while the parents work, or if this is all the family that there is.

But that dust looks wonderful for smooshing bare toes around.

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance." The kids do appear happy and acknowledged. Unconditional love has a way of causing that. Material riches don't really enter into that equation but a strong, caring relative might.

The little boy sitting in his grandmother's lap will be a jazz musician in the 1920's!

When I see such a photograph, two things always come to mind:

1) the good old days were frequently overwhelmed by primitive living conditions and considerable poverty; and
2) we certainly take a lot for granted.

What were their dreams and aspirations? What impact did poverty have upon their daily lives? Did they ever obtain relief?

The older woman would have known the institution of slavery firsthand. How did she describe that to the younger children?
Count your blessings.

I've been staring at this picture for ten minutes, now. At first, I just thought it was a very sad picture, but I am seeing more in it, now. The expressions on their faces don't look like they were miserable, despite how truly dirt poor they were. Maybe the pleasant looks on their faces came from the fact that they possessed that super-human quality of valuing loved ones so highly that they felt thankful, despite having little else but each other. The girl on the left looks like she is starting to blossom into a beautiful young woman. Her posture is very elegant and lady-like. The grandmother's hands have obviously worked very hard, quite certainly from the time she was a small child.

I hope their economic situation improved at some point. They have really touched my heart and I will remember them.

Nobody knows the troubles I've seen. Looks like they've had a rough life. Happiness is innocence.