My Grandparents Share Stories | A Letter from 1957 & Life Lessons

Join me as I sit down with my grandparents for a heartwarming conversation about love, family, and faith. In this episode, we explore:

• A letter from 1957 that my grandpa wrote to my grandma from Germany before they started dating 
• How they chose their children’s names and the stories behind them 
• Why family has always been the cornerstone of their lives 
• & The role of faith in guiding their journey through life 

This episode is full of wisdom, laughs, and heartfelt moments that remind us of the importance of love and family.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, your support means more than I could ever express in words.

**Side note: The audio isn't the best in this episode. We shot from a new location & my settings need adjusting. Sorry friends!! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Okay, hi guys. I'm Kaylin. This is my grandparents. They'll introduce themselves to you.

SPEAKER_02 0:09

Just tell us your name. Oh, my name is Susan. Do you want the whole ball ball whack? Sure. Okay. Susan, Marie, McFadden, Brian.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

What's your name?

SPEAKER_00 0:22

My name's Tom.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

This is my grandma and grandpa. This is our first episode of the Generational Podcast. And I just wanted to give you guys a little backstory. My cousin Jonathan cornered me and he threatened my life if I didn't interview my grandparents. Just kidding. But he lives in um Myrtle Beach and he isn't around as much as he would like. So he thought it would be a great opportunity for our whole family to get to know our grandparents a little better better because they have a wealth of knowledge that isn't often shared with the entire world. And they are two of my favorite people on the planet. And I think that they should be your favorite people on the planet. So with that, we'll go ahead and get started. Okay. I have a list of questions that I was going to ask you guys, but first I wanted to talk about the letter that you guys showed me. Can you can you tell everybody about the fun letter that you guys shared?

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Well, I was going through some old files today and I ran across a letter that uh Private Thomas Bryan sent me from Germany, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:31

Yeah, that I wasn't a private any longer.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

I think that's what it said on your envelope. Anyway, um the I was in I was a senior in high school.

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Okay, so actually, you were a junior in high school. But don't let me contradict you.

SPEAKER_02 1:48

He has a better memory than I do. I guess I was a junior in high school.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Yes, you were.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

Okay. Was that the first letter that you had written, Grandma?

SPEAKER_00 1:56

No, no, no, no. She was a buddy, and uh, I think I gave her what uh dating advice now and then. I I didn't do very well myself, but it's well you won her over, so it worked out.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

He did he did. He gave me dating advice. I and of course, that guy that I was dating at that time, he left. That's how good his advice was.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

Thanks. I'm thankful for that because I wouldn't be sitting here. No, no, you wouldn't. So, how long did you guys write? The whole time you were in Germany, did you guys write to each other then?

SPEAKER_00 2:29

I don't remember that. I don't know. I don't either. I don't even know how it got started.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Did you uh go on a date when as soon as you got back?

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Yeah, he came and visited on his way back. Okay, and that's all she wrote, and in his in his uniform. Yeah, he looked pretty good in his uniform, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Because he went to prom with you, right? But not in my uniform, not in your uniform, in a tuxedo, I would hope. Okay, all right. Well, that was fun, Carly. Uh all right, we have a we have some questions here that I was gonna ask you guys. This one I know who it came from because I just it's such a long thing that I remember. This is from Shelby, Kim's daughter. It says, I've always admired the love and passion that you have for others, the kindness and undeniable truth that you extend out, even when you don't have to. You're both beyond patient and never judgmental. Never's funny to me because I think that you never are, but I'm sure you're like, no, we're judgmental. Uh, I mean, I am. Me and Carly both are. Anyways, um, you never ever miss a birthday or an event in your loved ones' lives. I strive for your open-mindedness that most people don't have these days. I guess the question is, how do you guys remain so patient, positive, and poised at all times?

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Wow. Well, first of all, Shelby and others, you need to come and live with us for a week. I've never considered myself personally a patient man, so um, I'm either faking it or got lucky somewhere. Um, she's much more patient than I. And she knows all the kids and their birth dates and nicknames and everything else about them. And if you ask me the names of everyone, um I get lost.

SPEAKER_02 4:21

So well, there's quite a few of them. I I I but I I love having family. And uh if you become a part of my family, the uh grandkids or great-grandkids or however, uh, then you're part of my family. And uh I I pray for each and every one of you every morning by name. I mean it it's a long list. Well, you know, I ask the Lord to bless and hold you all close and to guide you, and then I start with Christopher, the oldest, and uh go down the line. And so, and that includes um, you know, all of the children, all of the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, uh, stepgrandchildren, and stepchildren. Uh but if Valerie tells me that's over a hundred. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

I haven't haven't actually sat down and counted them all, but uh I bet you it is because the picture that I made for you over there, I'm pretty sure at that point it was 67. Oh, was it? And that was six, seven. Um, and that was years ago now. So yeah, there's I mean, one one year we added nine babies, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:45

I bet you it is and the thing on the side that Ellen made me years ago that didn't have that many names, the with the oh, the birthdates, the uh for each month, and this is the big one, April. Um and it's not up to date. I need to get back and add a lot of names, but that one, um it it's a lot of people, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

I will say, I'm just gonna add this really quick. I've what I've always loved about you two, a lot of things, but in this in particular, is that you've I mean, I'm I'm your blood relative, obviously, but I've always felt like you guys have treated everyone the same, regardless of if they were step. Like you've always included, I mean, even like the sugars when they came to our stuff, you've always just made everyone feel. I think a lot of people would say you always you're just good about making people feel welcome. Like they like they're a part of it. I appreciate the quality that I strive to have because I'm not the best at that. Thank you. You're welcome. Okay, while we're talking about kid kids and and grandkids, this is kind of a funny one. And if it puts you on the spot and you don't want to answer, you can tell me. But I I have guesses, so I'm interested to see. I was gonna ask you who your favorite grandchild is, but I don't want to embarrass everyone else because it's obvious. Um, growing when when your kids were growing up, who was the most difficult child?

SPEAKER_02 7:05

Oh, that's a turkey one. That's a turkey one.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Well, it depends on a lot of things. The ages and everything else. Um Vicky and I had some real I don't know how to put it. Yeah, yeah. It was tough. We were both very stubborn, hard-headed people, and when she was Carly's age, uh we had some pretty good fights, but she we turned out very, very close now. So that was my thought.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Yeah. That was your toughest.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

That was my toughest.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

I I really I really can't say. I mean, you know, there's there were times uh well when I wanted to I had some problems with Christopher for a while and um but I I really can't really can't say.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

I feel like at different points everyone is difficult, right? Right. My guesses were Uncle Chris and TJ. I don't know why, but I just felt like TJ was probably crazy when he was little. And they're the most mellowed out now, which is funny.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

Yeah, yeah. TJ really wasn't that much of a problem. Love it.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

No, as far as babies were concerned, Valerie and Gregory were by far the easiest ones.

SPEAKER_01 8:22

I thought when they weren't babies, uh-huh. Did they just sleep better or what made them they just went with the flow?

SPEAKER_00 8:28

Yeah, yeah, pretty much.

SPEAKER_02 8:30

Was Nani a problem, John? Nanni?

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Nani?

SPEAKER_02 8:34

She came well Nani was lucky because there was that's April.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

Yes, I should have said Carly, if you couldn't hear because she's across the room, Carly said was Nani, which is my mom, difficult. She's the baby of the child, of the family.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Uh Nani in a lot of ways was very lucky because uh there was uh what a four and a half year distance between her and TJ. Is that the biggest age gap between the kids?

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Oh, yeah, yeah, because most of them were well like uh how many years consecutively were you pregnant?

SPEAKER_00 9:13

I mean, was there ever a year when she wasn't? Yes, there was. There was.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

Well, Christopher was born in 1960, and then I had a mess uh I had a uh miscarriage in 61, and Vicki was born in 62, and Valerie in 63, and Cindy in 64, and uh Gregory in 66, and TJ in late 67, and then April until Nani 72 72. So she had uh a lot of more time with us uh as a little one because the other ones were you know st in starting into school or or were already into school, so I had more time to to spend one-on-one with her when she was little.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

Probably was tough on TJ since he was no longer the baby.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

And he was spoiled the longest of being the baby. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

He was yes, yes, well, not counting April. Well, yes, before her.

unknown 10:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:24

TJ was, you're right. TJ was pretty active at home. Because I can remember he would come home from school and he would just like be so active that when I was in for my uh, you know, one-on-one with a teacher, I said, Is TJ giving you trouble in school? I think he might have been in the second grade. And she said, TJ? He barely moves. And I thought, oh, that's why when he gets home he goes crazy.

SPEAKER_01 10:56

Yeah. They I have that problem with Kate, and they the the pediatrician told me that they spend all day trying to behave, and then when they get home to their safe space, they just let it out. Yeah. They just they can't hold it in anymore.

SPEAKER_03 11:09

All right.

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Next. Next, we're going to the next question. This one was from Johnny. He says, um, I'd really like to hear about your journey with your faith, how you came to it, how you grew with it, how you have seen God help you through hard times, and just your overall general testimony of faith. Which is a lot of questions, so you can break it down.

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Well, we were both born and raised Catholic, so that solved a lot of problems right there. We didn't really hunt for any other type of religion, you know. And as far as that's concerned, I'm still quite happy and satisfied where I am. Um there have been a lot of changes um for me. Um some made me a little more liberal, some made me a little more conservative, but I've still stayed with uh the church and I I see no reason that I won't until I die.

SPEAKER_02 12:18

Well you know, I was I was raised Catholic also, and my mom and dad were very um religious, very uh close to God. And of course, I was one of ten children um and we always went to church never missed a Sunday and we still try never to unless we're ill. Um I I love my Catholic faith. I've been very involved in it most of my life. Um I love serving others and I love uh all the years at St. Pius that I I worked and ran the spiritual life committee and things like that. Um it's very uplifting and it's you know it's where God calls you. Um wherever call when I felt a call from God, I tried to follow it. Um my hardest time following God's call, I think, is probably these days, because I um I I always have this battle going on as to whether I'm old and can't do things or I'm lazy and can't do things.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Or both.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

I'm gonna guess it's probably the first. I don't think you're lazy.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

Well, my my children tell me that I need to slow down and do things, but it you know, it's a battle. That's probably hard though. It is slowing down. Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is, and like I said, I have that battle where if I'm just relaxing or whatever, and there's so many things to do. I mean, just look around this place, you know. It's it needs a lot. Um, but if I do too much, I pay the price physically, and then I realize I'm at an age where I can't do all these things. Yeah, so it's kind of humbling.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

If it makes you feel any better, I also do things and then my body hurts. So I think like at any stage, like Jeremy and I, we took the kids yesterday to this um like slide amusement park thing, and after we were we were there two hours, and we got home and we were both so tired. And I'm like, is this what being old is like? Like we didn't even do anything really. But this is what being old is like. This is true. This is true. Okay, all right. We'll hit one, we'll hit one more question here. Uh maybe. Let me look and see what we've got left. Um well, this is a quick answer, so we'll just end with this since you already told me it. How did you come up with the names of all of your kids? Oh, that's a tough one.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Basically, as I recalled, I named the girls and she named the boys, and that's pretty much it, really.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Did you call let me tell you about Christopher. Okay. Okay. Uh uh when I was in the eighth grade and um riding the bus to school, um, we used to stop and pick up this little boy uh on the way, and he was in kindergarten, and his name was Christopher, and he was so darn cute. And I thought, yeah, I'm gonna name my little boy Christopher. That's how his name came about.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Yeah, that's so cute. I never that's I never knew that before. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:55

Well, we might have agreed on April, merely because it was April.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

I was gonna say, I've always wondered, did you name her April because she was born in April?

SPEAKER_00 16:03

No. My recall is yes, but maybe not.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

No, I I named her April. It just happened to be that she was falling, you know, being born in April. But um, because you know, we'd had that break, and I wanted to name her April because it was the beginning of a like new life. Oh, that's pretty. Yeah, I like that. Yeah, because April is spring and it's the beginning of new life, so that's why I picked the name.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

I didn't remember that.

SPEAKER_01 16:38

Do you remember if you had girl and boy names picked out? Because you didn't know, you couldn't find out the gender, right? So did you decide did you have names picked out before birth, or was this like after they were born?

SPEAKER_00 16:51

Well, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

You know, I can't remember either. We probably uh had names in mind, um, because yes, you had no idea what yeah, you know, what sex your your child was going to be, so you couldn't pick out a specific name. But I don't remember what the choices were.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

And I I don't know if I made this up, but did you have to give birth on a um like cement table? Like they didn't have soft do you remember?

SPEAKER_02 17:20

I don't know why it's well it wasn't a cement table, no, but it uh as far as it wasn't real soft either, because you would have to yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

Do you actually think that babies were born on a cement table? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 17:41

I don't know why that was in my head. Like I don't know if maybe Jeremy's mom told me that or something, but it was like not a cement table, but like a like a like a metal, like it like it wasn't because now it's like a an actual bed. And I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

I guess I just had it in my well, actually, on I saw none of my children born. We weren't allowed in the room. Um, we had to sit out there and pace, more or less, like they say, except I did get in in time for your mom, but she was just about finished at that point. That's interesting. So I never saw the actual delivery of the room.

SPEAKER_02 18:16

No one was allowed in the room?

SPEAKER_00 18:18

No.

SPEAKER_02 18:18

No, and I I they had started allowing uh husbands in at time. And when so when Ava was going to be born, and I I asked Dr. Bootell as I said, can Tom come in? And he said, uh, not a good idea. Most of the guys faint.

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Actually, they still give warnings, like when I got my epidural, you know, they let one person stay. Usually my mom stayed and Jeremy left. Uh-huh. Just because you want your mom, you know. Um, but they would say, Yeah, the guys always turn around because they they don't they get queasy with the needle. I'm like, son, you're going in their back, but anyways, okay, I think we And of course they didn't have a lot of the um medications to, you know, to give you.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

And I was a long labor. Okay. I ended up most of my deliveries, in fact, all but one, and I can't remember which one it was, um, I got a saddle block, which is a last minute type of thing. Oh. Uh in um one of the kids I got, I guess you called it an epidural that you get earlier on. But it those tend to slow you down, and I was already slow enough. But the thing that I really missed was with the saddle block, you are um you can't really feel anything after the for quite a while. Yeah. And I always had a lot of pain after after the birth. So I like the saddle block for that. And you only have that one with one? No, I had the saddle block with six. Oh, okay, okay. I thought you said I decided to try the other one with one of them, and I can't even remember which one it was. So that maybe that's a good thing. But then I decided, okay, I'll wait through the, you know.

SPEAKER_01 20:09

With all of my kids, I said I will never get any medication until it started hurting. Then I was like, I want that bitter on now.

SPEAKER_03 20:16

Give it to me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

Okay. Well, I we will have more questions next time. Um, I think this is a good starting point. So thank you both so much. This isn't just a one-time though. If you hate it, it can be a one-time thing, but we have more questions. I just didn't want to sit down forever. It's exhausting and you know, tiring to sit down forever and feel like you have to okay. Well, at least we know what we're looking for. I'll give you a notice next time today. But yes. All right, guys. Well, I'm Kaylin. This is Tom and Sue, and we'll catch you on the flip side later. Bye.