It’s a simple question with an easy answer—unless you don’t know it. Two generations. Most people have hundreds of opportunities to ask their grandparents this question in person. How many do?
I happen to know my grandparents’ siblings. They each had one, and I met them both in person repeatedly. But will I still remember this when I’m as old as they were when I last saw them?
My grandparents are now in their 80s. Whenever I see them, I try to learn something from their personal stories. But when I asked my grandpa about his grandma’s siblings, he came up short: “I don’t know how many, actually. At least two!” One married and died young, leaving behind two children for her sister to care for. She then also married the same man for financial and social stability. The 19th century was a different time.
The limits of our knowledge will always stay narrow. As we age, our brains can draw them even closer around us. But where facts go missing, wisdom can remain—if only we choose to ask everything we can ask while we have the chance to do it. Even the simplest question is a good start. A question like: “How many siblings did your grandparents have?”
