A Look Into The Past

Photo albums, a journey into the past through pictures, for Ember looking through her families photo albums is a way to connect and to learn about where her family comes from.

Ember doesn't know much about where her family is from, the only thing she knows is that the beginning of her family begins at Ellis Island.

Ember has tried everything to know more about her family, looking through records at the library, documents from Ellis Island, even ancestry.com, nothing has worked, now Ember is at her grandmother's house looking trough the family photo albums.

Ember is sitting by the fire place looking at the first album dated 1915-1925, she opens the photo album to the first page.

In the first page Ember comes across a picture of two people, a man and a woman. She looks at them closely, and takes out the picture. She turns the picture over and sees the names of the man and woman.

"Their names are Emer and Finlay Lyons, my grandparents, your great great grandparents. That picture was taken the day they arrived at Ellis Island."

Ember looks up and sees her grandmother Maggie.

"Hi grandma. I was just looking at the family album."

"Its alright dear, keep looking. If you have any questions just call."

"Okay."

Ember puts the picture back and continues to look. She looks at more pictures on the first page.

Ember takes each picture out turns it over and looks at the date. Another picture she takes out is a picture of her great great grandfather Finlay dated 1918.

Ember looks at the picture closely and sees Finlay wearing a uniform, it's a military uniform. She knows this during the time World War 1 was happening.

Ember never knew one of her relatives fought in World War 1. She puts the picture and wonders what other surprises she is going to find.

The last page of the photo album is a picture of a woman who looks like her great grandmother. Ember turns the picture over and sees the name.

The name on the picture is Nessa, born 1919. Ember puts the picture back and looks at the last remaining pictures, then closes the photo album.

Ember puts the photo album back on the shelve and takes out another one, this one is dated 1930-1940. She wonders why it took five years to make another album.

"This time period was one of the worse periods in America." Ember says to herself.

Ember opens the photo album. On the first page is a picture unlike any other. She calls her grandmother. Maggie comes rushing to see what's wrong. Ember shows her the picture.

Maggie looks at the picture and tells Ember her grandmother took the picture to show what life was like during those times and there are many more pictures like this one in the album.

"So, this is not a family album?"

"There are pictures of my mother, but they are not all happy ones."

"Because of the Depression?"

Maggie nods.

She hands Ember the picture and puts its back.

Ember continues to look through the album and her grandmother was right, its filled with pictures of the Depression.

Towards the end of the album Ember begins to see pictures of her great grandmother.

"Wow, she looks beautiful."

Ember closes the photo album dated 1930-1940. She puts the album back on the shelf. The next album Ember takes out is dated 1940-1950.

At the time of this photo album Ember's great grandmother is 21 years old, America is getting out of the grip of the Depression, but trouble is brewing in Europe, but in the photos, Ember sees a beautiful young woman having the time of her life.

Ember opens the album and on the first page, she sees a picture of her great grandmother, she is wearing a knee length dress with short heels, loose curls falling down past her shoulder and a big smile plastered on her face. Ember turns to her grandmother and asks about the picture.

"Is this a dance?"

Maggie looks at the picture and nods.

"This picture was taken at the annual fall dance."

"Great grandmother is so beautiful."

"That she was, keep looking."

Ember nods.

There are more pictures of the dance. Ember sees her great grandmother smiling and dancing with her friends.

On the next page Ember sees another picture of her great grandmother and a man.

"That man is your great grandpa Max. it was at that dance they met and fell in love."

"That is so beautiful."

"There love story is a beautiful story."

Ember looks down at the next picture of her great grandparents, and it's one of her great grandpa hugging her great grandmother. Ember smiles.

She goes to the next page and sees a somber looking woman. Ember doesn't understand why this picture looks so sad.

"This picture was taken the day after Pearl Harbor."

Great grandpa got drafted?"

"No, he enlisted, great grandmother wasn't happy/"

"Why not?"

"At that time no one believed the war was going to catch up with us, but it did. All the young men were signing up before they got drafted and so did great grandpa."

"He survived right, of course he survived or we wouldn't be here."

Maggie smiles.

"Keep looking at the album."

Ember looks down at the next picture and the next picture and the next picture and sees many pictures of her great grandmother at her home at the beach and at the pool. She sees pictures of her great grandpa in uniform, but towards the end of the album, all Ember sees is letters, letters written by both her great grandparents, she reads the letters.

The last letter Ember reads has tears running down her face. Their love was so strong it lasted through out the war.

Over the next few hours Ember goes through all her family albums and sees one thing in common, their family service to their country was so strong and fierce that it started at the very beginning when their great great grandparents first arrived at Ellis Island and lasted all the way to the present with her brother serving in the military.

"Find what you are looking for?"

"Yes."

"Tell me what you found."

"Our family has a strong desire to serve their adopt country from great great grandfather Finlay in World War 1 to the present with Joey serving."

"All we wanted to do is prove we belong here."

"Our family did a good job."

Ember hugs her grandmother.

"I love you grandma."