In the 1940s, a young Jewish man and a German Lutheran girl fell in love in St. Paul, MN.  The young man enlisted in the Navy one year (to the day) after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  For the duration of the war, he and his love exchanged letters. The letters document their engagement, marriage and the birth of their first child. They were my grandparents.

Both of my grandparents died a few  years ago, and within a few years of each other. These letters feel like a magical glimpse into their history — my history too.

One other artifact I have from their life that has captured my imagination is a tattered old recipe box filled with handwritten recipes and newspaper clippings.

Together, the letters and the recipes are pulling me deep into the memory of my grandparents. As I navigate the world of young parenthood, I find comfort and strength in the stories of those who have come before me.  I share them here with the hope that my own family will also find inspiration.