November 3rd is my Mom’s Birthday. We almost always celebrated it with her. She did the cooking for the dinner, and we did the desert–sometimes homemade ice cream. Sometimes a big cake with cream instead of frosting. Sometimes both.
My Mom died on Halloween morning. I was in Canada and could not get home in time. Seems the border guard wanted his dinner on time. A semi with a heavy cargo cleared just ahead of us and it took a full 20 minutes to do the paper work. So, even though we had no one behind us… And even though it was more than 300 miles to the next border crossing… And even though the nearest town where we could get lodging was 150 miles away… And even though we would have cleared in less than 5 minutes–that crossing guard told us to get lost and to come back in the morning, he was going home to get his dinner before it got cold.
So we drove all night to the crossing that was open 24 hours a day. Crossed in 3 minutes. And I did not get to say goodbye to my mother.
Sometimes I like to sit quietly and think about what she taught me. Things that have enable me to be an independent person, seeking my own destiny and supporting myself with genealogy knowledge and experience that she and my father encouraged.
Sundays are quiet times in my life–church services, choir practice, and visiting with my children and their families. Some service projects. And a lot of reading–a love of books and a love of learning which I discovered under the tutorship of my Mom. Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle
PS Isn’t this family history? Recalling what is right about your life and where and how you discovered the enjoyment of quiet and peaceful things?