Another day of chatting with my Dad in The Armchair Genealogist‘s writing challenge. They are heading back to Idaho on Wednesday so this was my best chance to talk before they head home. I really prefer talking in person to over the phone. We spent most of our time helping me understand the basics of how the Underwater Swimmer School functioned. It started with me wanting to understand what it was like as the students arrived. There was so much about the basic functioning of the Navy that I didn’t know. Now I have a better understanding from the letters behind their names to their daily uniforms to duty. Hopefully I have a better grasp of the basics now.

It is interesting to learn this stuff. I wasn’t in school yet when he retired and he just hasn’t ever really talked about his experiences until recently. The aging process seems to bring out a different side to my Dad. It is a good thing. I was talking to one of my nieces last week and she has noticed that he is sharing more about things with her too. They are thinking of moving to Seattle and my Dad commented to her how he really missed the sun during the year we lived in Seattle. She felt an openness to the conversation that she hadn’t felt before. My mom seems the opposite, she is sharing less. I wonder if aging tends to send us in one direction or the other. I think sharing more is the best approach. Have you noticed this in relatives as they grow old?