Patience is a virtue . . .

 "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap

but by the seeds you plant."

- John Ciardi

Remember last week when I sat on the front porch all day, well I also read a little . . .

from a red, leather bound,

gold edged,

"year by year" book.

The inside cover reads . . . 

Miss Elsie Calvin

A Condensed comparative record

for five years, for recording

events most worthy of

remembrance

She hand wrote the date, June 12, 1928

Elsie was my grandmother.

She mostly wrote about a boy named Don, my grandfather (Poppy)

This five year diary is about their love story. I don't know exactly when they started dating, but on June 14, 1928 she wrote, "Today is graduation! Practiced all morning, got my watch came home got ready. I was so excited. Met Don afterward and we went to town to get something to eat then came home. Hazel, Claudia, Katie and Bernita were here all night. Don gave me a darling bracelet then he kissed me before my eyes. It was wonderful, first time since I began going with him! I'll never forget!!

{Kim Klassen Sybil}

This is a photo of my grandmother but it's not dated so I'm not sure how old she is here.

{Nancy's organic paper}

I feel so fortunate to be able to have some insight to her everyday life. I found out things like, she went to college and was not so happy about dissecting animals in her zoology class. That nearly every single Sunday without fail they had a date and that she really enjoyed making dresses for those dates. I can only wonder if in the photo of her, if she made that one? He told her that she looked pretty keen in all of her dresses and she wished she had a job so she could make more.

{Kim Klassen the veil and Edith}

 She sure was smitten with him, and knew for sure she didn't want anyone else. on September 19, 1932 she wrote, "Went for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. I thoroughly enjoyed it too. Gee five years is a long time to go with a fellow but somehow it doesn't seem that long and I haven't regretted a time that I have been with him. It would be as nice if he would only tell me that he loves me and that he wanted me to wait for him but he won't do that. He said he had to have something to offer me first but his love would be enough until he could offer the other. I can understand how he feels about it tho' but I do want him to tell me he loves me so badly. I love him and think I always will because I think 5 years is long enough for anyone to tell whether or not they love another person. He wants me to go out with other fellows for a while and be sure. I guess I'll have to do that before I'll convince him that he will always be the only one with me. I'd marry him tomorrow if he asked me & I wouldn't hesitate a minute. I just know that someday we will get married and I truly think that we can make a go of it. Seems like lately that is all I can think of, getting married and having a home, cooking and keeping house for Don and maybe having a little boy like Don to take care of. I know it will be quite a while before that happens but that doesn't keep me from planning and looking forward to it. He said that if I wanted to go on like this knowing he couldn't offer anything more that just himself for a while ....but if not I should say so, but I'd rather go on like we are now for year + year then to give him up. We both have quite a bit of each other now and guess we should be satisfied but oh, it is so hard sometimes.

 I can't believe after five years he hadn't told her that he loved her, clearly he did. What's up with that Poppy? I do remember them talking about dating for about ten years before they finally got married. His father died, leaving him head of the family and then with the depression his family moved into their garage and rented their house to get through it. So he didn't propose until he could support the both of them. 

I chose the quote I did because my grandmother was so very patient with this young man that she loved with all of her heart. She knew what was important and what she wanted and didn't judge her life by a harvest that couldn't be offered to her, but with patience watched those seeds grow into a bounty.

They were married for just over 40 years, and the seeds that they planted continue to produce a harvest today in love, and respect and in kindness and faith through their examples of the way they lived their lives.

A history that through this diary I can pass on to my children . . . 

I miss you both so much . . . 

Love, Kim

XO

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