My reflections on Mother's Day

This week has brought rain and rain and some sunshine. I sit here at my desk in the store and think of the millions of things I could be doing if I were not here. Then I remember how I love this place, my store. I worked so many years in the government position until I retired 3 years ago early to be able to have more time off to take my elderly mother to Dr. visits, etc. I am so glad I did that as nothing can replace those hours we spent going to and from Drs. and sitting with her in hospital during her frequent hospital stays.
The picture above is of her on left, my aunt Arlene who is my Dad's sister and best friend of my Mom who introduced her to my Dad, and then my Dad's cousin Jo, who recently died. Mom was about 17 and had just met my Dad but was not to marry for a year more when she was 18. Arlene was 14 and Jo was 15. I would love to have their dresses for my antique clothing boutique here in the store. I guess that period of early 1940's is especially romantic. War was coming, women would be seeking work outside their homes and no longer be just housewives and people in the US would start to move from rural to city to find work. While working for Social Security Adm. for my career and conducting retirement seminars I talked of this period in the 30's and early 40's often as the 30's are when Social Security began. Even now when retired I still connect with those marks in history when this and that happened affecting Social Security. I guess I will until I get dementia and don't remember anymore.
That will be the end of me and my connection to Social Security.
My aunt Arlene is the only one of the three friends who still lives. She lives in Spring and we see her at least once a month. Could run by often when she still lived here but since her husband died we do not get to see her as often because she moved closer to her daughter Kat.
I could become sad looking at the future in their eyes in this picture knowing exactly how their lives turned out. But no, the joy of being young and hoping for a wonderful life was there for them. They had that and now two of them are no more, except in our hearts.
I reflect on all this just this week following Mother's Day. Of course I thought of my mom on that day.
She was a great Mom, not that she didn't make mistakes. She did, at least I thought so in those days when I was about the age she was in the picture. But as you age you see what these parents really did for you. They molded our thinking, our hopes and yes, even our fears. But they did so with only love in their hearts for us.
That is why today I remember those 6 months we had after I retired before her death with joy. They were hard at times, me trying to push a wheelchair up hill from one Dr. office to another. She told me I was the weakest person who had ever pushed a wheelchair and maybe it was true, but she also knew I was there trying to help her and she trusted me enough to say that. I miss her. I would not ever want her to have to return and suffer more. I am happy with her in Heaven.
Happy Mother's Day, MOM.
Lois

And to the right is copy of an old 1940's pattern that a person could write in and request to be sent in the mail.
Reminded me of their dresses above.

And as usual for me a quote from Seven Hundred Album Verses:

"Age and Youth both have their dreams,
Youth looks at the possible, age at the
probable."
no author c 1884