She was only 10 that Sunday morning. The sight of low-flying planes lured her older brother to the roof of the house in curiosity and excitement, but he nervously
climbed down again when he saw the pilots motioning to him in warning. In their confusion, she and some of the locals went to a nearby church, but it was early and the doors were still locked. She remembers the sounds, the smoke in the distance, the enemy plane that crashed in the sugar cane field where her family earned its livelihood. For her, the uncertain future held gas masks, air raid drills and an influx of military personnel into her quiet neighborhood. Her life changed forever that day.
Until my grandmother told me this story, December 7, 1941 was just the answer to a test question in my American History class. All of a sudden, her words connected me in a very real way to the "day of infamy" which I had only read about in textbooks. I had always found history reasonably enjoyable, but reliving the attack on Pearl Harbor through my grandmother's eyes was a lesson unlike any I had ever received in a classroom.
Not many people have such dramatic eye-witness tales, to be sure, but you have still seen history-in-the-making on the news or in the paper. Recounting your own memories for your children can spark their interest in this important area of study and give them a historical perspective they would not otherwise have. You don't need to be a history buff, either. My grandmother did not go to college, but she has experienced a lot in her lifetime. My parents have related to me their memories of the first man on the moon, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the death of Elvis. My husband, who is 5 years my senior, recalls the destruction of the Berlin Wall, an event which I was too young to remember. Someday I will be able to tell my children about the advent of the internet, the death of Princess Diana, the events of 9/11 and how life changed in the subsequent weeks and years.
Keep telling those favorite family stories, but take time to share what you remember about important historical events. In this way, the home can be a catalyst between young children and the world around them. As their interest in and respect for history grows, they will find themselves connected to the broader realm of human history, one generation at a time.
climbed down again when he saw the pilots motioning to him in warning. In their confusion, she and some of the locals went to a nearby church, but it was early and the doors were still locked. She remembers the sounds, the smoke in the distance, the enemy plane that crashed in the sugar cane field where her family earned its livelihood. For her, the uncertain future held gas masks, air raid drills and an influx of military personnel into her quiet neighborhood. Her life changed forever that day.Until my grandmother told me this story, December 7, 1941 was just the answer to a test question in my American History class. All of a sudden, her words connected me in a very real way to the "day of infamy" which I had only read about in textbooks. I had always found history reasonably enjoyable, but reliving the attack on Pearl Harbor through my grandmother's eyes was a lesson unlike any I had ever received in a classroom.
Not many people have such dramatic eye-witness tales, to be sure, but you have still seen history-in-the-making on the news or in the paper. Recounting your own memories for your children can spark their interest in this important area of study and give them a historical perspective they would not otherwise have. You don't need to be a history buff, either. My grandmother did not go to college, but she has experienced a lot in her lifetime. My parents have related to me their memories of the first man on the moon, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the death of Elvis. My husband, who is 5 years my senior, recalls the destruction of the Berlin Wall, an event which I was too young to remember. Someday I will be able to tell my children about the advent of the internet, the death of Princess Diana, the events of 9/11 and how life changed in the subsequent weeks and years.
Keep telling those favorite family stories, but take time to share what you remember about important historical events. In this way, the home can be a catalyst between young children and the world around them. As their interest in and respect for history grows, they will find themselves connected to the broader realm of human history, one generation at a time.
