My guess is this picture was taken right before my dad was sent to the South Pacific during WW2. I can see my Grandma Ida and my dad trying to put on brave smiles for the camera. I treasure these old photos that hold the memories of my family. I look at my grandma's face and wonder what she felt as seven of her eight sons and one of her four daughters served in the military.  Grandma was a tiny woman with towering strength.  She raised twelve children - alone. Her husband was an alcoholic and a womanizer, always promising to be better, but wasn't. I only met my grandfather a few times, but I saw that he was a handsome charmer and smooth talker.  Grandma never complained nor spoke against him. She simply did what she had to do to take care of all her children by going to work, while the older children pitched in to help out. Grandma taught her children, and her grandchildren, the importance of being family no matter what. She loved fiercely without judgement. Her hugs could get you through anything you might be facing. Her cooking nourished your body, and her love nourished your spirit. Because of Grandma Ida, our family shares a bond that can never be broken. For me personally, I was blessed with the best of dads, and a bevy of aunts and uncles and their spouses who were a rich part of my life, giving me cousins I loved fiercely, all 43 of them. I think it's important to know your people, the tribe to which you belong, the tribe that will always be there for you. My Grandma's life was a testimonial to endurance, and most importantly, to great love. As busy as her life was she took the time to show a ten year old how to knit and crochet, and I think of her every time I pick up my needles. To have had two amazing grandmothers as role models is a gift life has given me, an inherited strength that gets me through the ups and downs that come my way. I feel them with me every day.