I had the fortunate experience of growing up with great-grandparents living, as well as some of their siblings. I got to hear first-hand experiences from 3 generations of women (mother, grandmothers, and two great-grandmothers plus various aunts sprinkled in). It was invaluable for me. Knowing their life stories and the truth of what they endured has helped me navigate life in so many ways.

It also has been incredible armor against the flood of misplaced nostalgia and outright manipulation of history that seems so prevelant. My great-grandmother was born in 1908 and died in 2002. She left her abusive husband in the 1930s and raised her kids as a single mom in a time when it was exponentially more difficult to do so. Glad she got out when she did with 4 instead of 14...

My dad is 70 and he was the youngest of 14 kids…

Before modern medicine, often people would have a ton of kids because they would frequently die.

Big difference. They have sex only once or twice a year. And it happens to impregnate them. Rinse and repeats to get 10. 12 or 15. Could go from 18 or 20 years old to 35 or 40 years old. Then menopause. And the father is like 60 or 70 years old.

Grandma, you know better. Everyone was just as horny and kinky back then as they are today. You're STILL horny and kinky Grandma!

They needed workers. Not pictured is the shallow grave out back for the 4 that got the rickets