Kith & Kin

  AI generated by Copilot. Back in my twenties, thirties, and forties, I knew everything. That’s not really true, of course. Let’s say instead that I knew all the conservative Christian rules regarding What kind of music all Christians should listen to. What is and is not modest for women. Exactly what length a man’s hair should be. Which businesses Christians should and should not patronize. Which politicians to support. Which causes to support—and which ones to oppose. Which entertainment choices were acceptable and which were not. [1] I also thought, when I was young, that as I grew older, these Unassailable Truths would become firmer, joined by even more Unassailable Truths (hereafter “UTs”). The wisdom I would possess when I would be, for example, sixty-two would be immense! I would know even more answers! Then life happened. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not questioning my faith (although that exercise is good for you to do every once in a while), and...

Great-Aunt Lois and Grandma Leta were one of two sets of twins in their class (on the left above). I do not know who the other twins are. Grandma Swartz was a warm, loving person with a great sense of humor. She was exactly what a grandmother should be—interested in your life, full of wise counsel, a terrific cook, and a pleasingly plump hugger. She was my mom’s mom, and her full name was Leta Elizabeth Green Swartz. I wonder where her parents got the idea to name her “Leta”—it’s not a very common name. Grandma’s fraternal twin sister was Lois Parker. I barely knew Great-Aunt Lois because she and Great-Uncle Lloyd lived “Out West” all my life. But I was often told how different Leta and Lois were. Lois was what we called “a corker.” Blunt, profane, a smoker, masculine in her manner, and not in the least bound by propriety. I’ll bet her parents went through times of despair during her growing-up years. My mom told the story of visiting Lois and Lloyd one time before I was...