Today is the future of yesterday and the yesterday of tomorrow. Without accepting the past it is not possible to completely comprehend your present.
Gertrud was born in 1916 somewhere in the countryside of western Germany as a child of middle class parents. From her early ages she has always been a very open, creative and curious individual always reflecting on society and all norms and values that come with it.
On a day in summer in a year of the nineteenthirties Gertrud and her friend went to a fair in the city, where they met a man that Gertrud's friend had flirted with for quite some time. That was the day Gertrud was introduced to Heinrich who later became her lover, soulmate, husband and the father of seven children. When Heinrich found out that Getrud's friend had started flirting with another man, when he had left the city for a few weeks, he decided that he would not want that kind of fair-weather friend to be his future wife. He then remembered Gertrud.
The two of them started their relationship in the mid thirties, but Heinrich was send to the army and later kept as a war prisoner. Throughout this whole time, they wrote loveletters, that Gertrud would keep throughout the decades until the day of her death. She was always sure, that this man was going to be her husband. So when he got back home in 1949, they finally got married. Gertrud was then 33 years old - comparatively old for a bride.
Because they had lost so much time, they then rushed even more - drunk in the love that had to wait for so long.
Gertrud became pregnant several times shortly after and gave birth to seven children. Even at that time seven children were a lot, but everytime someone would ask her why she would have so many kids, she would answer "blame it on the love".
On sunday evenings Gertrud would cook while Heinrich would read the news to her and after dinner Getrud and Heinrich would dance to the sounds of the radio. Hence to the farm life they lived, Heinrich worked a lot outside and everytime a new plant began to bloom, he would grab a blossom or twig and brought it home to Gertrud.
On June 4th, 1988, Heinrich brought home the first ripe strawberry from the garden. It was Gertrud's 72nd birthday. The day after, they planned a bike tour through the blooming fields around their farm. So Heinrich had an after-lunch nap to prepare for the tour. He never woke up.
Heinrich died on June 5th, 1988.
On June 4th, 2011 Getrud turned 95. It was a sunny day and nearly all of her children, grand-children and great-grandchildren came to celebrate. Gertrud was absent, afflicted with Alzheimer. But she enjoyed her large piece of strawberry cake and insisted that the children would take photos, something she never liked throughout her life. At the end of the day she would say goodbye to every member of her family by saying "Never forget to breathe". It was her personal statement. A statement of a free life.
Gertrud got her last rites on June 5th, 2011. She died two days later.
I am proud to say that I can call this strong, independant, warm-hearted, loving, curious, cheeky and especially free woman the person that inspired me most in my life. Gertrud was my grandmother.
She was the inspiration to this blog because she would always see the extraordinary in the little things of life and the importance of being gracious. But first and foremost she was an amazingly beautiful woman with the will to overcome the ordinary.
On a day in summer in a year of the nineteenthirties Gertrud and her friend went to a fair in the city, where they met a man that Gertrud's friend had flirted with for quite some time. That was the day Gertrud was introduced to Heinrich who later became her lover, soulmate, husband and the father of seven children. When Heinrich found out that Getrud's friend had started flirting with another man, when he had left the city for a few weeks, he decided that he would not want that kind of fair-weather friend to be his future wife. He then remembered Gertrud.
The two of them started their relationship in the mid thirties, but Heinrich was send to the army and later kept as a war prisoner. Throughout this whole time, they wrote loveletters, that Gertrud would keep throughout the decades until the day of her death. She was always sure, that this man was going to be her husband. So when he got back home in 1949, they finally got married. Gertrud was then 33 years old - comparatively old for a bride.
Because they had lost so much time, they then rushed even more - drunk in the love that had to wait for so long.
Gertrud became pregnant several times shortly after and gave birth to seven children. Even at that time seven children were a lot, but everytime someone would ask her why she would have so many kids, she would answer "blame it on the love".
On sunday evenings Gertrud would cook while Heinrich would read the news to her and after dinner Getrud and Heinrich would dance to the sounds of the radio. Hence to the farm life they lived, Heinrich worked a lot outside and everytime a new plant began to bloom, he would grab a blossom or twig and brought it home to Gertrud.
On June 4th, 1988, Heinrich brought home the first ripe strawberry from the garden. It was Gertrud's 72nd birthday. The day after, they planned a bike tour through the blooming fields around their farm. So Heinrich had an after-lunch nap to prepare for the tour. He never woke up.
Heinrich died on June 5th, 1988.
On June 4th, 2011 Getrud turned 95. It was a sunny day and nearly all of her children, grand-children and great-grandchildren came to celebrate. Gertrud was absent, afflicted with Alzheimer. But she enjoyed her large piece of strawberry cake and insisted that the children would take photos, something she never liked throughout her life. At the end of the day she would say goodbye to every member of her family by saying "Never forget to breathe". It was her personal statement. A statement of a free life.
Gertrud got her last rites on June 5th, 2011. She died two days later.
I am proud to say that I can call this strong, independant, warm-hearted, loving, curious, cheeky and especially free woman the person that inspired me most in my life. Gertrud was my grandmother.
She was the inspiration to this blog because she would always see the extraordinary in the little things of life and the importance of being gracious. But first and foremost she was an amazingly beautiful woman with the will to overcome the ordinary.
"never forget to breathe"
remember gertrud.
