Rockprincess
April 8th, 2004, 11:27 AM
In 1900, a beautiful young lady named Lily May married the man she loved, James. James was a jockey - an interesting profession, if not a particularly lucrative one. Lily May and James lived in a tiny village in northern Ontario, in a very small house. They were not wealthy, but they always behaved as though they were - they were not overly proud, but they were very dignified.
In the same year, a huge, leatherbound bible with metal clasps was created. It had pages for family photos, illustrations, childrens stories - it was a work of art.
In 1905, Lily May's older brother William gave her the bible . Now, neither Lily May nor James was particularly devout, but Lily loved the bible for it's beauty and because it was a gift from her brother.
In due time, Lily May and James were blessed with four children - Stanley, Audrey, Olive and Alan. Lily May loved her children and cherished their childhood - when she could, she gathered momentos of that time (baby pictures, certificates, bookmarks) and tucked them into the bible for safe keeping.
Although it was not opened often, the bible sat on a table in the living room, displayed for it's beauty and sentimental value. As the children grew and the years passed, the sun washed over the bible, gradually fading the deep burgundy of the leather and drying the gold leaf so that some flaked off.
In 1925, Lily May's second daughter Olive married the man she loved, Theodore Dougald. They built a house in the field accross from Lily and James, where they raised their own children - James, Stanley and Audrey. They too grew up in the village, helping their father with the small farm.
In 1953, Olive's son James married his second wife (the first had died in childbirth), Mora. James had trained as a mechanic, and he and Mora opened a garage and gas station just up the hill from his parents and grandparent's homes. They built their own home beside the garage, and raised their children, Nancy, Beth and Christy, there.
By this time, Lily May's husband James had passed away, but for many years she continued to live in her tiny house, with her beautiful things, including the bible. Her great-granddaughters would visit often, and she always had cookies for them. Eventually, when she became very old and frail, Lily May moved across to live with Olive and James. She brought the bible, and it was placed on a small table in the corner in Olive's living room. By this time, the cover was very faded, but as it was seldom opened, the pages were in pristine condition.
In 1976, Lily May's great granddaughter Beth married Robert. Lily Mae had passed away earlier that year, but her graceful and dignified presence was still felt and cherished by everyone.
Beth and Robert were adventurous souls, and moved away from the tiny village, out to western Canada. They had four daughters, and raised them out west, although they took them back to the village to visit as often as they could.
In 1995, Olive passed away. Her James had crossed over many years before, not long after his mother-in-law Lily May. A few months after her passing, everyone gathered back in the small village to clean her home and take away those things that reminded them of her.
Now, Beth's oldest daughter is Rockprincess. She had always had an affinity for books, and old books especially. As she wandered around her great-grandmother's home, nothing was calling to her, nothing said "I want to go home with you". Until, of course, she saw the bible. There it was, dusty and forgotten on the table in the corner. As soon as she saw it, she was overwhelmed with love...and she began to cry - certain that someone else must have claimed something so wonderful already. But surprisingly, no one had. And seeing the look on her face, everyone agreed that the bible must go to Rockprincess.
And so, that is how I came to own my bible, despite my pagan upbringing. It is a gorgeous thing, and has no negativity associated with it whatsoever - it is a simple embodyment of love, and is a powerful magical object for me. However, it was also in very delicate shape - not the pages and clasps, but the leather cover was flaking and I was afraid of destroying it, so it was wrapped in towels in my mom's closet.
This year, 2004, in less than a month, I am going to marry the man I love. As their gift to me, my Mama and sisters (without my knowlegde) took my bible to a book restorer. The restorers took the old leather cover of, and made a new one, in the same deep burgundy. Then, they ever so carefully re-applied all of the decorative touches of the original cover (after carefully cleaning and restoring it) over top of the new one - so the binding is now very strong, but all of the original detailed leather is there. They also cleaned every page, and repaired small rips.
Now, 104 years after it came into existence and 99 years since it came to my family, my Mama and sisters gave me the bible again last night...along with pictures of Lily May and her James, Olive and her James, James and his Mora and Beth and Robert. It is such an incredible present. I cried when they gave it to me, I am almost crying now. I will take good care of it, and write the stories of the lives of the people that are touched by it so that someday, when I have passed on, perhaps one of my great great grandchildren will see it and love it, and can hear the voices of their ancestors blessing them through the years.
In the same year, a huge, leatherbound bible with metal clasps was created. It had pages for family photos, illustrations, childrens stories - it was a work of art.
In 1905, Lily May's older brother William gave her the bible . Now, neither Lily May nor James was particularly devout, but Lily loved the bible for it's beauty and because it was a gift from her brother.
In due time, Lily May and James were blessed with four children - Stanley, Audrey, Olive and Alan. Lily May loved her children and cherished their childhood - when she could, she gathered momentos of that time (baby pictures, certificates, bookmarks) and tucked them into the bible for safe keeping.
Although it was not opened often, the bible sat on a table in the living room, displayed for it's beauty and sentimental value. As the children grew and the years passed, the sun washed over the bible, gradually fading the deep burgundy of the leather and drying the gold leaf so that some flaked off.
In 1925, Lily May's second daughter Olive married the man she loved, Theodore Dougald. They built a house in the field accross from Lily and James, where they raised their own children - James, Stanley and Audrey. They too grew up in the village, helping their father with the small farm.
In 1953, Olive's son James married his second wife (the first had died in childbirth), Mora. James had trained as a mechanic, and he and Mora opened a garage and gas station just up the hill from his parents and grandparent's homes. They built their own home beside the garage, and raised their children, Nancy, Beth and Christy, there.
By this time, Lily May's husband James had passed away, but for many years she continued to live in her tiny house, with her beautiful things, including the bible. Her great-granddaughters would visit often, and she always had cookies for them. Eventually, when she became very old and frail, Lily May moved across to live with Olive and James. She brought the bible, and it was placed on a small table in the corner in Olive's living room. By this time, the cover was very faded, but as it was seldom opened, the pages were in pristine condition.
In 1976, Lily May's great granddaughter Beth married Robert. Lily Mae had passed away earlier that year, but her graceful and dignified presence was still felt and cherished by everyone.
Beth and Robert were adventurous souls, and moved away from the tiny village, out to western Canada. They had four daughters, and raised them out west, although they took them back to the village to visit as often as they could.
In 1995, Olive passed away. Her James had crossed over many years before, not long after his mother-in-law Lily May. A few months after her passing, everyone gathered back in the small village to clean her home and take away those things that reminded them of her.
Now, Beth's oldest daughter is Rockprincess. She had always had an affinity for books, and old books especially. As she wandered around her great-grandmother's home, nothing was calling to her, nothing said "I want to go home with you". Until, of course, she saw the bible. There it was, dusty and forgotten on the table in the corner. As soon as she saw it, she was overwhelmed with love...and she began to cry - certain that someone else must have claimed something so wonderful already. But surprisingly, no one had. And seeing the look on her face, everyone agreed that the bible must go to Rockprincess.
And so, that is how I came to own my bible, despite my pagan upbringing. It is a gorgeous thing, and has no negativity associated with it whatsoever - it is a simple embodyment of love, and is a powerful magical object for me. However, it was also in very delicate shape - not the pages and clasps, but the leather cover was flaking and I was afraid of destroying it, so it was wrapped in towels in my mom's closet.
This year, 2004, in less than a month, I am going to marry the man I love. As their gift to me, my Mama and sisters (without my knowlegde) took my bible to a book restorer. The restorers took the old leather cover of, and made a new one, in the same deep burgundy. Then, they ever so carefully re-applied all of the decorative touches of the original cover (after carefully cleaning and restoring it) over top of the new one - so the binding is now very strong, but all of the original detailed leather is there. They also cleaned every page, and repaired small rips.
Now, 104 years after it came into existence and 99 years since it came to my family, my Mama and sisters gave me the bible again last night...along with pictures of Lily May and her James, Olive and her James, James and his Mora and Beth and Robert. It is such an incredible present. I cried when they gave it to me, I am almost crying now. I will take good care of it, and write the stories of the lives of the people that are touched by it so that someday, when I have passed on, perhaps one of my great great grandchildren will see it and love it, and can hear the voices of their ancestors blessing them through the years.