My mother was very clinical in her approach to life, and now I understand why. It must be hard for medical people to think of the brain and heart as anything but functioning organs needing protection from all the pathogens that threaten them. These images are from a 1952 anatomy book for children that my mother managed to save.
My mother wasn’t entirely about being a soldier or a nurse—she had a life as mother and wife, though she saved very little from those endeavors. Here is a Mother’s Day card from my dad and an engraving of the Blessed Mother from my oldest sister’s birth certificate.
I didn’t learn a whole lot of new things by going through my mother’s sparse mementos; one shoebox does not a life make. Yet I’m glad I found these things, as they brought reality to some of the stories I heard over the years, and made them more personal. Plus, now I know when all else fails, to just put a smile on my face and the world will be a better place!
This article was last modified on May 17, 2023
This article was first published on July 9, 2010
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