family?

There's a young man in my family who just celebrated his birthday. And for now Finnegan is ten years old. Last year, when 'Finn' visited Florida, he and his family stopped by - spent a few days - with visits, outings etc. Finn is a very curious young lad, eager and particular about our family history.

My father and I, had a not so good relationship. Really nothing more than he being stand-offish and always 'reserved' (an old polite term for what-ever it needed to fit). For my part, my father's character never really did shine. He expressed little or no emotion. I have only seen one photo of my father and I together, and that photo was taken in 1954. When I spoke to my sister yesterday, she mentioned that she has another photo, of the two of us, together - but, we are standing apart.

For Finnegan's birthday I was trying to think of something different, something unique to pique his curiosity toward the family. This past year, I sent Finn my father's World War 11 'service' ribbons and one of my father's long cherished keepsakes.

Well, this early photograph came to mind. I've been curious about it all my life. It's been deep-seated within me since childhood. And for Finn, this photo would be of his great-grandfather and grandfather (that would be me). My sister, also mentioned during our phone conversation, that we never even knew of our own "great-grandfather" - or at the least, that of his name.