Day 14 - Joplin, MO - Part Two

The mood in the car is unmistakeable.

A cloud of melancholy has dropped on us.

For my Mom, I think it is the realization that she has said all of the goodbyes that she is going to do on this trip.

There's nobody left for us to see.

For me, it's because there is only one goal left.

Getting home.

But once we are home, I'll have to return to my life.

I won't get the chance to be with her everyday.

I don't really know how Jack is feeling. I've never been able to read him (and I think I'm pretty decent about reading people). He always has his cards close to his chest. But I know one thing.

He just wants my Mom to be happy with this trip.

We ride in silence for much of the trip. I do start a conversation to get a better understanding of everything that we saw in the previous two days.

We've talked a lot of Grandma Hatley.

But I realize that we hadn't really spoken of Grandpa Hatley at all.

And then I remember one of the interesting things I discovered when my Mom did a bunch of the geneology work on her family.

"Wasn't Grandma Hatley like 13 years old when she got married?" I ask.

My Mom confirms that.

"And Grandpa Hatley was much older than her, correct?

She confirms that as well.

More than anything, it confirms what a different life people were leading just three generations ago.

It's amazing to think that over a 100 years ago, a 13 year old girl started to make this huge family.