Barbara Kellam Ollarvia

Bind Us Together: How Old Letters Empowered and United a Family Barbara Kellam Ollarvia

The Glue that Holds a Family Together Barbara (Bobbie) Kellam Ollarvia's childhood remembrances as a first generation McGee born in New Jersey adds to the vibrancy of this play. It begins with her family's migration from the Deep South to Trenton, New Jersey in 1946. When Bobbie's grandmother Lola dies decades later her cherished possessions are found inside a small burlap bag (croaker sack). Letters as meaningful and precious to Lola as her mother's watch were also in the bag. Surprisingly, the letters are written by the McGee family and friends to Lola's son Sammie who was stationed in Germany during the Korean War. Circumstances surrounding the writings reveal much about the life and times of the McGee family. Bobbie's recent conversations with older relatives fill in more blanks about family history and ways. Bobbie refers to the lasting memories of her grandparents and their children as "afterglows" influencing McGee offspring today in powerful ways. They ignite inspiration, determination, gratefulness, and what Lola referred to as "gumption", the innate willpower to get things done. The glue, people who held/hold the family together, is understood, revered, and appreciated. Years after the deaths of the core family, the next generations are able to bask in its glow. Old letters saved and prized by Lola were the catalyst showing how essential faith in God and core values is in strengthening a family unit.