19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, December 1, 1914:
The Twenty-fifth is near, December’s on the way,
And thoughts of presents nice and dear fill every passing day.
‘I wonder what I’ll get’ is what we often think
Until the day has dawned again all rosy and pink.
The last month of the year. I must hurry and fill up the remaining pages of this diary by writing silly nothings in it.
Brought my dress home. It suits me to a T. Ma doesn’t seem to like it very well, but maybe she will when she sees it on me.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Grandma—
WHAT YOU ARE WRITING ARE NOT SILLY NOTHINGS! I know that you can’t possibly understand, but THEY ARE IMPORTANT THOUGHTS.
In any case—Even if you think your words are silly, please be generous with them. Someone will care about them someday.
P.S. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your mother will like the dress after you model it for her.
—
Monthly Poem in Diary
Grandma began each month of the Diary with a poem. See this previous post for more information about them:
—
Thank You!
I’d like to thank all of you who took a moment yesterday to write a comment about why you regularly visit this blog. I’m amazed by the varied reasons that you visit—and I’m humbled by your kind, heartfelt words.
And, I think that Grandma would be absolutely astounded that so many of you read her words and story—and , I also think that, in her quiet way, that she’d be thrilled that people still remember and care about her a hundred years later.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Funny–has to hurry and fill those pages! 🙂
I had a similar reaction–and wondered why she felt a need to fill the pages.
Thank goodness for the poem. It would be just awful if it was missing!
I agree–apparently the monthly poem was one of the things that she found rewarding to include in the diary.
Yay–a poem! Your words at the end of this are very poignant–gave me kind of a chill, to think that Helena could somehow know that she is known to so many people around the world now!
Somehow, after doing this blog for four years, I just have to feel like we are somehow able to travel across time to a certain extent. 🙂
Well, life got complicated, so blogging took a back seat for a month or so. Since I’m here today I’ll tell you this is one of my favorite blogs. I’m really interested in how your grandmother’s life turns out.
It’s good to have you back. I hope that things have settled down for you. It’s nice to hear that this is one of your favorite blogs. I have a lot of fun doing it, and it’s always wonderful to hear when someone enjoys it.
That’s a great poem to lead into December a hundred years ago. How I have enjoyed your blog – Helena’s entries and yours.
I appreciate your kind words. It’s nice to know how much you’ve enjoyed this blog.
We all try to reach out and connect. Some by writing. Some by reading. Some both.
Your description very aptly describes the wonderful blogging community.
I wish there was a picture of you in that dress Helena!
Diana xo
So do I. 🙂 I tried to select a a dress to illustrate this post that a young woman might have considered stylish, but that her mother might have thought looked a bit too modern.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head — the best part about this blog is the honor it does to your grandmother
Your words and sentiments are very kind. I greatly appreciate them.
I wonder if the dress was a little wild…that’s ofter the case when mothers are disapproving of their daughters choice of clothes…
I wondered the same thing–though even the wildest dress a hundred years ago, would be very tame by today’s standards. :).
So true – maybe one frill too many!
Self-deprecation in the creative arts (especially in women) seems to have no boundaries in time. I wonder who if anyone encouraged Helena in her writing back then. I love that she continues with her poetry every month. And that you are her biggest cheerleader today.
As far as I know, the only writing that Grandma did after the diary ended was the occasional letter. Over the course of the last few years, I’ve thought a lot about why she did didn’t continue writing. Sometimes it makes me feel a little sad–but then I realize that I’m using a 2014 lens to try to make sense of things. I think that Grandma had a good life and was happy–so maybe times just were different and I should leave it at that. .
It has been a while but when I visit her grave it is as if I truly know her – I would like to think if she lived today we would be friends. But then I am luck to be friends with her granddaughter – so I am doubly blessed!! 🙂 About the dress I wonder if the lengths of dresses were starting to go above the ankle – do you know when the fashion changed? We all know in the 20s fashion went crazy!
Thank you for the kind words and thoughts. I bet that you are right that the dresses were getting a little shorter. When I look at old Ladies Home Journals, I can see that styles definitely changed between 1911 and 1914. The 1914 styles were starting to look a bit more likd the clothes that the flappers wore.