Minny

MINNY BLUE AND LINNY AND LYNxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Minny was my Russian grandmother. I was named after her in the way that immigrant families name their children. You take the first initial of Minny/Menya.xThen decide that's too old fashioned, so you change it into Linny/Lyn. Somehow a name emerges that sort of connects up.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Minny came from Roshkov, Ukraine/Russia. She was my father's mother, married my grandfather, the happy-go- lucky fellow who joined the Czars army, deserted it, came to AMERICA, left Minny with four sons under the age of ten. My father, at the age of ten, became the little man of the family when his mother Minny died at the age of thirty-two. Legend says it was of a broken heart. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx .xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx My father came to New York when he was twelve and when he saw The Statue of Liberty he thought she was his mother. For all of his ninety-five years he loved and respected America, because he felt that his mother stood guard over the Harbor. Before he died, he gave me a large white linen table cloth that Minny had embroidered in 1909. Exactly one hundred years ago. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Minny Blue. Blue, why? Well, the stitches on the white cloth were blue, her name in Russian, and the date, 1909. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Minny. Linny. Lyn. x xx xx Cherish your gifts... let the light within you shine forever. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx