My grandfather…wrote songs and verses, in two books when he was at sea, and they have been lost for 37 years. My uncle took care of them when my grandmother died, and promised to return them after copying them.
I often reminded him about those books, but he didn’t know where they were. My uncle died some years ago without ever returning the books. Today we attended the funeral for his wife. a wonderfully strong woman who had a life worthy of a novel. It was a beautiful funeral with many friends, music and flowers.
And – the two books were found among their things in the apartment. They are finally returned to us! They were written in 1924-1925, so almost precisely a hundred years old. As a child I was enchanted by the beautiful handwritten pages in ink, and the many colourful sketches he made on almost every page.
Here’s a couple of quick shots with my phone:
Life is indeed using mysterious ways to connect us. I am immensely grateful to her nieces who finally found the books and returned them to me. I am the only relative left who have seen them before and remembers them. I feel so rich and blessed today.
Gratefully,
Ann-Christine
Leya 
How wonderful to have them back 😊
That’s amazing! Looking at a 100 year old memory in its original notebook is so fascinating 😀..
Indeed it is. I am very grateful!
Truly a Harding story, really pleased you have those books back at last would be very interested to see more pages at some stage if that’s possible
thanks, Sue. Maybe when I have read a bit more in them!
Of course!
Are we talking?????
yes!
Such a heartening story, A-C. You must be so delighted. It gives one such a sinking feeling when family treasures go astray.
True – this was beyond my thinking – to find them again!
A touching story and the drawings are so beautiful, Ann-Christine! Life works indeed in mysterious ways…
♥
What a long journey!
♥ And unbelievably wonderful!
So lovely these family treasures found their way back to you Ann-Christine, it’s almost as if your grandfather guided your nieces and made sure you’d be reunited 💜✨️ xxx
♥ Yes, thank you, maybe he did!
What a treasure to pass on down. Glad you got the books back.
Pepper – it is beyond everything I could imagine! Thank you!
What treasures you have there. I am glad you found them again.
Thank you, Imelda – I am overwhelmed and sooooo happy!
Ann-Christine, what a beautiful gift to have this treasure returned to you after all these years. So happy for you.
Thank you, thank you – I am quite happy about it!♥
That must be an enormous relief to you, Ann-Christine. A blessing indeed.
♥ Unbelievable really. I talked to them before the funeral, and they said they had not found any books…so I was totally overwhelmed that they had found them!
🧡
Oh that is wonderful – I am so happy for you! And your grandfather was clearly a talented artist ♥️
Thank you, Sarah – I am so excited and happy. I remember his drawings from when I was a child and saw his books!
Great news!
Thank you – so exciting!
A wonderful keepsake! Very special to have them finally returned xx
Jo, it is – I feel so blessed.
Oh, these are so very special. I’m so glad they’ve found an equally special keeper in you. If you ever felt you could share them, it would be wonderful to see more pages sometime.
Thank you, Margaret. I will try to read and understand – that old style handwriting is so beautiful, but no one can do that anymore.
I am happy for you, I can sense♥️ the happiness in your post. I have found that memories of people who have passed are more important when we grow older
I have found the same, Ritva. And my grandparents meant so much to me.
A wonderful family heritage! Try to keep it!
I will – and I will do my best to read and understand. This old type of writing you have to get used to read. Then it will become easier the more I read of course.
What a wonderful recovery of such an important part of your family history.
Exciting!
That’s wonderful!!
It is!
What an amazing legacy and a family treasure! I’m so glad you have been reunited with them again. 🙂
Thank you, Priscilla! I haven’t been this excited for years. What a treasure!
A wonderful thing to happen Ann-Christine. You are certainly blessed and now have some reading to do, full of memories
Thank you! Yes, i am very excited, but feel the difficulties in reading that old style handwriting. I am getting more used to it the more I read!
That would take practise but as you say, the more you read, the easier it becomes
♥
What a great day it was! I can feel your happiness in the words you wrote here.
Thank you, Egidio! I hope to find time during Christmas to read more!
What a fabulous find! So excited to hear about the books.
Thank you, Rebecca – excited I am!
I am happy for you. What a treasure. I have no idea what the poem is about, but I imagine it might have something to do with the beautiful woman in the drawing.
Thank you – I am very happy! The texts are not that easy, because handwriting was different in those days. But I shall read every sentence!