Category: Family Stories

My Grandfather’s Guitar

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant2 Comments

Starting this blog has brought me so much joy, especially through the wonderful people I have met along the way. I love discovering the creative writing, heartfelt stories, and clever play on words shared by fellow bloggers. Today, I am honored to share Katie’s beautiful poem about her grandfather. It is touching, sincere, and a loving tribute to his life and memory. Please visit and follow Katie at A Virginia Writer’s Diary. I know you will enjoy her creativity and unique perspective as much as I have.

Here is Katie’s post:

I think this might have been the first poem I ever posted on the blog. I didn’t have a lot of followers then, and I don’t know that it’s gotten a lot of attention. I’m happy to have an opportunity to share it again, thanks to Annie at Tales of a Family, who posted a writing prompt for this week “inviting us to remember the men who shaped our lives – not always through grand speeches or big moments, but through the quiet lessons they lived every day.”

I’ve talked about my grandfather, James, in the collaboration Annie and I have been working on, about how his death prompted me to start my creative journey. But his life inspired me, too. He worked hard, he fought in World War II and lost friends doing it, he loved and supported his family (his wife, my beautiful grandmother and his six children), and he enjoyed the small, quiet moments you can carve out in a busy, not always easy life. He loved fishing, sitting on the porch swing, making music. He taught me to love those moments, too.

So here’s a poem for him, a memory and an elegy, that I’m grateful to revisit, called “My Grandfather’s Guitar.”

My grandfather’s guitar sits in a corner of my study
untouched, gathering dust.
When I was young and he was already old, it could pull notes straight from the air
through his fingers and into my ears.
I can hear them, though he is gone and his instrument’s gone quiet.
When I was young, not even ten,
he’d pick it up and start to play and then I’d go still,
stuck to one spot until he was done.
My grandfather’s guitar in his hands made magic, but I was too young to understand
that music is magic made real for a moment.
A fret and a twang and he’d made something that didn’t exist before
and wouldn’t again.
I sometimes imagine myself back there, wearing muddy tennis shoes with tangled hair,
just listening.
I can hear it, but no song ever sounds the same twice.

The Story Behind “Everything I Own”

Published on by Ann Marie BryantLeave a comment

Today, I discovered that “Everything I Own,” written by David Gates and recorded by Bread, was not originally written about a lost romantic love as I had always believed. Gates wrote the song in memory of his father, whose love, guidance, and example had shaped his life. Knowing the story behind the song gives its words an even deeper meaning and makes it a beautiful tribute to the fathers, grandfathers, mentors, and other special men who have loved and guided us.

What songs remind you of a special man in your life? Think about the music that brings back memories of your father, grandfather, brother, uncle, teacher, minister, or mentor. I would love to hear the song and the story behind why it is meaningful to you.

My Quiet Hero

Published on by Ann Marie BryantLeave a comment

Not everyone has the opportunity to have a real-life hero in their midst, but I am one of the lucky ones. I met my hero when I was just nine years old, and to this day, he remains an important part of my life.

I always wanted an older brother, and in many ways, God answered that prayer through Keith Lacy. He has always been in my corner, praying for me, encouraging me, lifting me up, and reminding me of God’s faithfulness.

Keith became my youth minister when I was a child, but over the years, he and his wife, Jan, became so much more than friends. They became family. We first met in California over fifty years ago, and somehow, through all the seasons, miles, changes, joys, and hardships of life, our friendship has remained strong. Now that our lives are connected in Colorado, I am even more grateful for the gift of Keith and Jan, a friendship rooted in faith, love, laughter, music, prayer, and the kind of loyalty that lasts a lifetime.

A Quiet Hero

Published on by Ann Marie BryantLeave a comment

This week’s writing prompt invites us to remember the quiet heroes in our lives—the people who may not have asked for attention, but whose love, strength, kindness, or steady example made a lasting difference. Sometimes a hero is not the loudest person in the room, but the one who shows up, works hard, loves faithfully, and leaves behind a legacy that continues to guide us. Think about someone in your family or community whose life deserves to be remembered.

Prompt: A Quiet Hero
Write about someone in your family who may not have received much attention but made a difference.

Please share your stories in the comments and link them here. Your memory may help honor a quiet hero whose story still deserves to be told.

Stay Young at Heart

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant2 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What’s the best advice you’d give to someone younger than you?
View all responses

The advice I would give to someone younger than me is to stay young at heart, have fun, and enjoy the journey. Life moves quickly, and it is easy to rush through the days without noticing the little moments that make everything meaningful. Laugh often, take chances, love deeply, and hold on to the memories that made your life feel magical. In the end, those special moments become the stories you carry with you.

And on that note…I was thinking about my horse Beau; I miss him more than words can fully explain. He was more than just a horse to me; he was a gentle presence, a beautiful memory, and a part of my heart. I still think about him often, remembering the bond we shared and the quiet comfort he brought into my life. Because I miss him so much, I asked AI to create a picture of us together in a magical fairytale setting. Seeing us side by side in an enchanted forest felt like a sweet way to honor him and imagine, just for a moment, that we were together again in a place filled with beauty, peace, and light. Sweet memories.

And PS. I am trying to have some fun while I am stuck in bed today. I was scrolling through Facebook when an ad popped up about mystical photos of you and a favorite animal. So of course I thought about my Beau from long ago, and I decided to ask AI to create a fairytale photo of the two of us…lol..I better be careful..I could get used to this being lazy and having fun kinda day!

Anne Bradstreet: A Voice Across Generations

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Anne Bradstreet, my 8x great-grandmother, holds a remarkable place in American literary history. Born Anne Dudley in England in 1612, she became one of the most important early English poets in North America and the first published writer in England’s North American colonies. As a Puritan wife, mother of eight, scholar, and poet, she balanced family life, faith, hardship, illness, and the challenges of colonial New England while still finding time to write. Her poetry reflected love, motherhood, grief, devotion, and strength, making her voice both deeply personal and historically powerful. More than three centuries later, Anne Bradstreet’s words still remind us that women’s stories have always mattered.

Dotty’s Journey: Family, Home, and the Places She Loved

Published on by Ann Marie Bryant2 Comments

Creating this infographic for my Mama, Dotty, felt like gathering pieces of her life and placing them gently together. From her Hotchkiss roots and wide-open ranch country to her years by the San Francisco Bay, each place helped shape the woman she became. Her story is filled with family, hard work, love, and the beautiful places that held her memories. Most of all, this keepsake honors the legacy she left behind; one carried forward through her children, her family, and the stories still being told.