Dedication

I am so happy to be a guest designer over at Path of Positivity this month!  Every month there is a theme for contemplation, study, and inspiration.  I truly enjoy participating in the challenges there; the best part is reading how others interpret the theme for the month and sharing in their creativity and or stories.  It is so insightful to visit everyone's blogs!

I was so fortunate to work with the image Isabelle Hat Lady from Sparkle N Sprinkle!  I used the image to create a sort of brooch next to the picture of my grandmother.

So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage to enjoy while I share my thoughts on the Path of Positivity theme this month:  Dedication.

Where do we begin when we think of dedication?  First off, there are a few definitions for this word; I'm choosing the definition closely resembling the Latin word "dedicare" which means devote.  (This seems appropriate since my grandfather and I both studied Latin through our HS years.)

Miriam Webster gives this definition:  "a feeling of very strong support for or loyalty to someone or something," while the Cambridge Dictionary gives this as one:  "the willingness to give a lot of time and energy to something because it is important."

I am very blessed to have strong, dedicated women in my family!  The more I look into the lives of my grandmothers, the more I understand the dedication they had to their husbands, children, and lifestyles.  I could have chosen either one of my grandmothers for this post, but I found this picture and wanted to scrap it for an album I'm giving to my father.......and so it is, my paternal grandmother.

***

I look at the picture of this young woman sitting outside a Texas Mortuary and wonder what sort of dedication it took for a midwestern farm girl to leave her family farm with a new husband.  The distance from her Ohio home to this western state must have seemed an eternity away.  Then I think about this young woman in her early 20's leaving that comfortable, rural environment for city life and I can't imagine the shock for her.

As I peruse the photo albums and see her sitting on top of horses dressed in simple clothing, I envision a girl with her older sisters living a life much like any other farm child of the early 1900's.  But as the pages turn, I see a drastic change from that simple farm life.  I see a young woman dressed and poised for a much different life ~ a life not only in a large city, but in a mortuary.

I can't imagine the shock it must have been for her.  Being the wife of the funeral director in the 1930's was a serious position in the community.  Much was expected of her in the way she acted, dressed, spoke, etc.  Even a misplaced smile or laugh was a serious faux pas and would reflect poorly on the business.

My grandparents moved back to the midwest and eventually settled into their own funeral home where my parents would eventually work.

I am now in my 50's and I never really thought about the dedication she must have had to my grandfather and their marriage.  Of course, to me, my grandma was always a well dressed, proper woman who never went out looking anything less than perfect.  Even a trip to the grocery was done in style.  Everything was about looking the part of their business.  For me, that's just who she was; but now, looking at pictures, I have to wonder what part of herself she gave up to become the woman I knew and loved.

My grandmother was dedicated to my grandfather and their life together.  Through that dedication came three more generations and a fourth coming early in 2016!  Life would have played out very differently had she not shown such dedication and loyalty.

***

Now it's your turn!  How does the theme 'dedication' inspire you?  Please share your creations with everyone over at Path of Positivity.  Prize sponsors this month are:

Creative Bug Digis

I'm also sharing this layout with:

Scrap Our Stash:  L-lace, A-Art Philosophy frame cut, Y-y in Kathryn, E- embossing, R- resin keyhole and rhinestone key, S- stick pins and Sparkle N Sprinkle image

Thanks for sharing some time with me!  Please feel free to peruse other posts, leave a comment, ask questions, etc.  Make yourself at home here and visit ScrappyHorses anytime!