My ancestors in America lived in Edwardian style. I suppose this was because that generation before the Great War had more money than later generations. The Great Depression affected one side of the family terribly, but not so much the other. The photo on the left is more elaborate than their houses and furnishings, but much the same.
I have photos in storage of ladies in large hats, men in whites at shooting and interiors of houses either in the Eastlake style, or Gustave Stickley,
or in other Mission styles, which was considered daring at the time.
Children dressed like Hayley Mills in
Pollyanna, and toys consisted of wooden things or mechanical things.
The Edwardian Age in England was one of peace and prosperity, but war clouds gathered. This was the age of Chesterton and Knox, the age of men. But, women were becoming more and more active. Both of my grandmothers went to college and one finished her degree. That was in 1908 or so, marrying shortly afterwards.
My grandparents had a house almost exactly like this one, which, sadly, no longer exists. I remember it. It was larger, room enough for parents and seven children, a library, and billiard table downstairs, a huge kitchen, and brand new. This style is called American Craftsman. Almost 100 years later, I bought a Craftsman house for awhile. Things stick in the psyche. It was similar to this one below.
Happy days. But, the other side of the family was still going back and forth to Europe, not settled in the new land, but busy being Catholic laypersons, working for the Church, working directly with the Vatican and with governments.
We are partly our past, but not totally, as each one of us is made unique. We can have family traits and family talents, but God places each one of us here for His glory.
Things which are material come and go, but the interior life moves with us. Are you internalizing your life?
Here is a prayer of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman.
“God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work.
I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place,
while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments.
Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.”
