True to their promise, my parents in law came for their annual visit. They timed it so they would be here for the Warren Morrow Music Festival I help organize every year. They also wanted to be in his home on what would have been Warren's fortieth birthday and arrived on that day. Unfortunately, I was out of town the day they arrived but luckily my mom had planned a family party to celebrate their arrival and his birthday.
Their visits bring us closer as a family, and in particular, my nieces and nephews love having an extra set of grandparents doting on them. One of the things they loved most about their visit was a party game my mom created where she wrote a question about Warren on a slip of paper and put it inside a balloon. Each child took turns popping the balloon and answering the question and Warren's parents helped them with the answer or shared a story related to the response. The kids learned more about their uncle and my in laws said they felt proud and touched at how eager the kids are to remember Warren and learn more about him.
I was sorry to have missed that celebration but thankful for a chance to learn more about Warren's childhood in a more intimate setting when his dad and I participated in StoryCorps. For those who do not want to click on the link, StoryCorps collects personal stories through people interviewing one another and archives the stories at the Library of Congress and eventually on their website.
In any case, the conversation was enlightening and it was one of few times Warren's dad and I were able to talk about him, just the two of us.
We shared some interesting stories and I was proud of myself for not crying. I really thought I would get in the room and lose it, especially while looking at his dad, with whom he shares the warmth in his smile. I see bits of Warren in his dad so I knew that talking about him to his dad would be difficult. All day before the interview I told myself to calm down, to focus on the present and to make the experience about the conversation and not about the topic. That was easier said than done but in the end, I was happy that I kept it together and we shared a dialogue and some quality time we would not have had otherwise.
I had hoped to have a clip to share on this blog but I haven't received it. Stay tuned and I will share it when it becomes available.
We shared some interesting stories and I was proud of myself for not crying. I really thought I would get in the room and lose it, especially while looking at his dad, with whom he shares the warmth in his smile. I see bits of Warren in his dad so I knew that talking about him to his dad would be difficult. All day before the interview I told myself to calm down, to focus on the present and to make the experience about the conversation and not about the topic. That was easier said than done but in the end, I was happy that I kept it together and we shared a dialogue and some quality time we would not have had otherwise.
I had hoped to have a clip to share on this blog but I haven't received it. Stay tuned and I will share it when it becomes available.
No comments:
Post a Comment