A treasure unearthed.

My mom visited my aunt and uncle over the weekend. She expected to have a nice visit; what she didn't expect was this:

My aunt found one of my grandmother's notepads when going through Granny's stuff recently. In this particular notebook, Granny had written an account of my father's health, from the first inklings that something was wrong to his hemophilia diagnosis to his injuries and hospital stays. Neither my mom nor I ever knew this journal existed. We were floored to read my grandmother's 16-page account of my father's childhood. Details we'd forgotten, stories we'd never heard: all in there, all told in Granny's unmistakable voice.

My aunt gave my mom two crystal clear copies, so I now have one in my possession. I read my copy right after Mom gave it to me at lunch Sunday. Of course, I cried like a baby. Although I'd never really thought about it, I shared a bond with my grandmother; she and I both had sons with hemophilia. But more than ever, I realize how very blessed we are that medical advances have made hemophilia so much easier to live with. She raised my dad in a world without hematologists, blood banks or 911. Her strength and resolve in the face of great trials are palpable in these pages.

Even if the subject matter hadn't been so dear, this journal would still be priceless. How wonderful it is to see her handwriting again! How awesome to discover her thought process, to notice the words she crossed out and rewrote! So add to that the fact that she documented these physical trials my father endured, and this account is off-the-charts FANTASTIC! I'm so thankful my aunt found this, and I'm beyond thankful that Granny wrote it in the first place.

And that, my friends, is WHY WE BLOG. Sure, sometimes I skip over the painful stuff, and yes, there are certain subjects that will never hit the web. And while I try to document the special events, surely there's some value to the everyday occurrences, too, the mundane details that in total make up our lives.

In the next few days, I'll share some excerpts from "A Sketch of Jim (Partial)." I want to give Ryan and Katie a chance to finish reading it. The kids were pretty young when Granny died, but they definitely remember her. I have a hunch that thanks to this legacy, they'll have a much better picture of what an amazing woman their great-grandmother was.

Edited to add the journal entries:

Part 1

Part 2
Part 3

Conclusion