ENGLISH IDENTITY

 

Aunty and Beanie's houses photo by Chris

Aunty and Beanie, my great aunt and great uncle, were “English.” All their ancestors can be traced back to England, and in many ways they carried that heritage with them. When I think of them, their houses—pictured in the photo above—seem to capture the spirit of the Pilgrims who emigrated to America in 1620. The Pilgrims primarily built their homes using wood such as oak, pine, and walnut, following traditional English methods. Their earliest dwellings often had thatched roofs, although clapboards later replaced them for better fire safety.

In the same way their homes reflected tradition, Aunty and Beanie themselves lived out many English traits. For example, they were wonderful gardeners. Uncle Beanie tended a huge lilac bush beside his house, while Aunty grew vegetables and a lovely bush of wild roses. It always seemed to me that many English people are dedicated gardeners, and they certainly were.

Beyond their gardens, Uncle Beanie was a natural caregiver. So it usually fell to him to entertain the cousins when we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa on their 15-acre farm in Eastern Washington. Whether he was taking us on long walks or escorting us down the hill to the mailboxes to wait for the mail, he always made us feel cared for.

Aunty, on the other hand, seemed happiest with babies. I remember her rocking one or two little ones at a time. My brother Jay, the first grandchild, bonded with her deeply, and they always enjoyed one another’s company.

Because of distance, we never spent Thanksgiving with them while we were growing up; our visits were usually limited to the summer. However, that changed later. When three of us attended college nearby, we finally had the chance to spend Thanksgiving with them and with other relatives in town. One year my brother Jay wanted to enjoy every Thanksgiving invitation he received, so he managed to eat Thanksgiving dinner at the college, at our grandparents’ farmhouse, and at our aunt and uncle’s home in town.

Looking back, I’m thankful that our ancestors emigrated to America and that we have such a rich heritage.

Psalm 119:111 — “Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.”