Mom

Sunday brings another Mother's Day.
Our mom left us on July 8, 1996.
She was the middle of three girls, and also had three brothers, one older, two younger.

Life in the twenties and thirties on small farms in America wasn't easy.
But to listen to mom and her kin, their life wasn't too far removed from the fictional Walton family.

My grand dad was a fine, tough but gentle man. My granny was quite a woman.
She had to be to raise that brood!



Mom and I in 1954. I play just as well now.


















In later years when I finally reached adulthood, some of my aunts and uncles would
tell stories about mom in her youth. She was always keeping the family waiting
while she did last minute primping. (That was no surprise, standard routine on Sunday
morning was all of us waiting in the car for mom)

My uncle Pat, the youngest and a 'surprise' took especial delight in tormenting her.
He would wait until she had every hair in place, then sneak up behind her and muss it.
My granny would still get on her for being too slow and plodding when she was in her seventies and mom in her forties. That was fun to watch!

She truly drove dad nuts at times. But that was mutual, to be sure.
Opposites do attract, a fussy Virginia girl and a detail oriented, type A engineer from West by Golly Virginia.

She was never in the best of health, having a frail constitution from her youth.
Raising me, my sister Lily and our very special sister Katy was no easy task.
There were no resources to speak of for Down's Syndrome children in the sixties.
But the two of them never considered raising her in any other fashion than as one of the family.
She had her stubborn, obstinate moments as well, being genetically speaking a full Harvey, with all of the inherent attributes.

When I was in Jr High, mom decided that she wanted to work part time.
Dad worked incredibly hard, but was never paid what he should have been due to a lack of formal education.
She wanted to help out. Mom worked until age 65, then returned home to Blacksburg.

Our son was her only grandchild, and she doted on him.
We were fortunate they were able to spend time together.
She saw him play baseball (he swings the bat just like your dad!), and knew he was destined for something really special in his life.

Her last few years were tough on her. A serious head injury due to a fall affected her in more ways than we realized.
But she never lost her faith, and kept her Savior at the center of her life.
That's the most important thing a mother can do for her children and grandchildren.

Hope you and dad (and all of those in both families that have gone on before us)
have wonderful mothers day.

I know your hair is perfect! All of your children and your grandson love and miss you.


Mom and her first born. Yes, all of the pictures are of me, I'm the oldest and I can do what I want! It is my blog, after all.