My maternal grandmother, Hazel was a beautiful, talented and amazing woman. With her positive spirit she taught by example how to love while showing incredible patience and strength. When she died, at the age of 100, I was able to keep one of her three detailed maps that she had drawn in high school. My mother had all three framed. One map was of Europe, one of North America, and the one I received was of Asia, but included some of the middle-East and Europe as well as the Asian countries.
This map was drawn in 1911, when Grandma was 16 years old and living in Vancouver. The detail is quite elaborate, indicating mountains, deserts and rail lines, along with the borders of the countries and lakes and oceans. She was careful with the printing, to keep it neat and readable. Grandma showed more of her artistic talent in later years with her paintings, leather work and knitting. She had a keen eye for detail.
For many years between high school and the time she got married, grandma worked for a steamship company. Often when items arrived, but were not claimed or picked up, she was able to take them. I don’t know if they were sold at a cheaper price or given away. One such item that I inherited from her is an old hand carved chest; most likely from Thailand (Siam in those days) or another country in Asia.
Grandma lived with her mother until she was 35 and got married. In those days women who were married didn’t work, so she gave up her job. I remember many times when she would tell that she dreamed of travelling on the ships and seeing countries around the world. As a loyal daughter and later as a wife, she stayed close to home and helped out as expected. But, when I was young and heading off on my own adventures, Grandma would cheer me on and encourage me to explore.
The framed map is hanging in my hallway upstairs. I often stop to look at the map and search for countries to see how much has changed since 1911. The borders are different. The names of many countries are different; some no longer exist. I am saddened by the thought that Grandma didn’t have a chance to travel far. One trip we took together when I was about 10 was a bus trip from Kelowna to Vancouver. That was a special trip for me — I got to spend time alone with the one person in my life who seemed to understand me and who has been an inspiration for me.
Reflections 