The Storytellers Porch
A Daughters Love and a Brownie Camera
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Episode notes
This episode of the Storyteller’s Porch begins with our host Jill Davis and her daughter, Gracie as they open a discussion about life growing up, Jill’s parents (Gracie’s grandparents), and much more. Our drink of choice for the porch this episode is Strawberry Pineapple Rebel made by Gracie’s girlfriend who is a barista at Dutch Bros.
Previously, we’ve dived into the stories of Jim and Sue Davis, known to Gracie as Grandma and Grandpa. Gracie’s earliest memory of the farm is from a time when Jill and the kids were staying in Kansas at a hotel and there was a tornado warning. It was the first time Gracie had ever witnessed a tornado warning, sirens wailing, and precautions being taken.
The next day, the family went to the farm. Gracie remembers playing on the farm the next day, hanging out in the back behind the barn and being grateful for not being swept away by the tornado.
Jill, of course, remembers more about the aftereffects of the tornado. She and the other adults visited one of Grandpa’s friend’s houses the day after the storm. The friend had irrigated farmlands, meaning they had many large cast iron sprinkler systems that watered the lands. Jill had never witnessed the sheer power of a tornado this close up before but quickly came to realize the intensity of damage a tornado can inflict when they came across a part of the sprinkler system that had been picked up and completely twisted into a corkscrew shape and then tossed across the field.
Recently, Gracie had a chance to visit the farm again for the first time since she was very little. Gracie and Jill spent a few days out on the farm playing music, cleaning the house, and connecting with the land. Since that trip, Gracie has expressed that she now feels much more connected to family history, lineage, and the way that the land holds memory of all people (even beyond her own kin).
Honoring that new feeling of connectedness, Jill and Gracie decided to read a bit of what they have each written on Grandma and Grandpa, their memories of them and their appreciation for who they were as human beings and a part of a long line of family history. Jill’s contribution comes in the form of a eulogy.
You can read the full eulogy here and as an added treat, please enjoy this explanation/example of the Tarzan yell mentioned in the eulogy.
The second of Jill’s contributions is a birthday letter Jill wrote to her father for his 91st birthday (and just shortly before he was told he had 6 weeks left to live).
In turn, Gracie’s contribution is a mixture of her public speaking experience and written word. Although she has always felt connected to language and wordsmithing in general, one of the ways Gracie conceptualizes and reflects on relationships is through poetry.
Although Gracie admits she did love and honor her grandfather, she often found herself feeling a bit more distanced from him. His personality was not quite as warm, silly song, and sugar cubed infused as Grandma’s was.
When Gracie was 14, she got into photography and as a gift, Grandpa gave Gracie a brownie camera that he carried with him during World War II.
You can read the full poem titled, ”in honor of the brownie camera that sits proudly on my nightstand” here.
We thank you for joining us for another episode of The Storyteller’s Porch and we’d love to hear the stories of your life, your loved ones and how you continue to honor them.
You can submit your stories here to be featured in a future episode. We look forward to hearing from you and can’t wait to share a signature drink with you.
Find out more about Gracie by following her online at the links below:
Always drink responsibly, don’t drink and drive.