Memories

[Stormmey]

After my Dad expire a few years ago in jamaica I asked and got some of his stuff shipped to me here in Canada. It has no monetary value as I told some of the jamaican family who wanted to know why waste money to ship that to Canada. I just didn't feel like sharing my thoughts with them, like look this is a part of my Dad/heritage that I knew nothing about just wanted something that belonged to him.

Anyways, some of the stuff that I had brought back was some stamps that he had. I guess no one in Jamaica thought anything of it.....but I do a bit of stamp collecting and feel that it tells a story.

I looked at them, put them in a collection book and would look at them/collection periodically. I just realized I had stamps with some jamaican icons like Alexander Bustamante, Norman Manley etc. I have stamps from Tanzania and another stamp that says Congo. Just remembering now I saw couple of those pictures of peeps on the Home page.
The stamp that says Tanzania has a a date and words that says Post Office 1972

The coins that I have from him tell another story on the back says stuff like sixpence (a little silver flat coin) another coin that says something about shilling and the year 1932

anyway just feeling nostalgic and thought I would share chat bout it .

[Grandmother]

Re: Memories

(((((((((Stormmey1)))))))))))))) thanks for sharing, this was a very sweet story. It is never the big things that make me smile when I think of my parents, but the many little things they did for us.

Hope when you look at your treasures they continue to give you much JOY, and having a hobby in common with your Dad, that you may not have even known about is priceless.

Thanks for making me smile.

[Sophie Magoo]

Re: Memories

hi guys
i often think about my birth country, was raised in my grandmother's yard, very similar to jamaican yards . . . i especially think about the vinyard and the walnut tree. at the end of their yard was afruit orchard with pears, cherries, apples, and june plums, followed by garden and then the walnut tree and the vinyard. i often think whether it's all still there . . . as a child, i would help my deda harvest the grapes and then all the grandchildren would stomp . . . memories . . .

i am grateful that my mother had the insight to take us out of the poverty and to a better life.

[Grandmother]

Re: Memories

Jitterbug maybe you are drawn to Jamaica, Port Antonio in particular, because of the similarities, Like going Home.

Hope to see you soon.

[Cultcha]

Re: Memories

I had an aunt in up here in Canada (may she RIP). Anyway, her house burnt down while she was away. She said the only things that she missed terribly were all the family pictures and little mementos she had collected over the years. The expensive material items lost in the fire could be replaced but not her boxes full of photos and trinkets that meant so much to her.

[Seveen]

Re: Memories

( ( ( stormmey1 ) ) )

after the fire in my condo - anything not burned was packed up and cleaned by a professional service

things were in storage for almost a year - while the condo was repaired, sold and i relocated to florida

i received my things back

now i have lost my grandparents, my brother, my father and my mother

and all of the remaining trinkets from each of them ended up in one box

there are a ton of pictures

i have no idea who are in the majority of the pictures that are fading and worn

and i have no one to ask

it's like i have a glimpse into the past but no key

[St_Bess]

Re: Memories

Stormmey1 - I know how you feel. Just be happy that you have all those old things to look at and remember your Dad. Just last week I was going through my Dad's papers. I found a very old newspaper clipping of Queen Elizabeth coronation, his old british passport which was stamped British Subject: Citizen of the United Kingdon and Colonies (pre independence of course); his discharge papers from the RAF (WWII); and pictures of myself and siblings from the 50's and 60's - the man kept everything . It nice to go down memory road.

[Stormmey]

Re: Memories

Seveen, never knew you had a fire....glad you okay.

The parents split when I was nine months when my Mom was in Britain attending University....am actually a brit the granperes brought me back to Canada while my Mom finished her Education there. I now know the granparents were instrumental in breaking up the marriage my Mom was also only 19 years old guess it was not hard to convince her seeing as how my Dad was broke and a black man she was used to a very comfortable lifestyle. She got married and never told them think because she got pregnant...for years I think she resented me/dislike me. Think is because I was a reminder of her past.

Anyway my point is I had no contact with my Dad until late teens, he returned to Jamaica shortly after my Mom left him, also found out the british bobbies paid him a visit and told him if he even looked at her (my Mom) he would be arrested for harassment. Granperes were instrumental in this being done!!

So my having stuff of his is like a blast from his past as..... I was raised totally in the caucasian world and my Granperes tried to instil racism in me in my impressionable years....sometimes it is nice to have a place where you can vent with and get some stuff outta yu system

I have a leather bound trunk that my Dad brought from Britain, so many memories in letters that I found in there letters he wrote my Mom but you can see he never mailed them where he poured out his heart to her asking about his little angel (me). I think he died of a broken heart while my Mom got on with her life after she returned to Canada and they told me all these lies about him ....yada yada

Rest in peace Dad I saw you once before you died and could tell that you were a broken man even though I was just a teen back then.

Dad you are gone but not forgotten

[Stormmey]

Re: Memories

St_Bess, yes it is, even though I wish after so many years I could get past some of the bitterness I have in my heart. It is getting better though as I now realize that bitterness can affect your life..... awwwww

I post some stuff as it is theraphy for me but sometimes I wonder

[Seveen]

Re: Memories

stormmey that is such a sad story

but in some ways the plan backfired

because you do recognize your jamaican roots

and you do communicate with your jamaican relatives

and you probably mourn your dad and the relationship that might have been just a little bit more than if you had been around him and experienced his goodness and fallibilities

enjoy your box of treasures and don't let it harden your heart against your granpere - people do what they <span style="font-style: italic">think </span>is right usually

[MsExced]

Re: Memories

(((stormmey1)))

[X]

Re: Memories

(((Stormsunshine)))

[R00TS]

Re: Memories

[Skelly]

Re: Memories




Stawmee

[Nanook]

Re: Memories

Awww Stormmey....I hadn't seen this before now. What precious memories you have there. At least you know how your dad felt...bittersweet though, I'm sure.