When I think about my childhood, I always remember how good our parents were. There were five of us,  I had 2 sisters and two brothers.  We were quite poor, not unlike most of the people we knew.  I remember going to our Uncle’s farm, where I was amazed that they ate such enormous meals,  There were also many jars of goodies that my aunt canned every year.  We never realized how hard they worked to keep that farm going. 

I also remember my Irish grandfather.  I don’t believe that we ever saw him sober.  He was his own worst enemy.  He used to send me a couple of dollars when he wrote to me from the facility where he spent his final years.  Oh my, how I loved those letters.  He died the same day that my husband gave me my engagement ring. 

Norm and I were married in ’57.  It was the first time in my life that I had hot water in the summer.  In our youth, we had hot water only from the kitchen stove which also heated part of our apartment.  I remember putting pails of water on the stove after dishes at night, for bathing.

Poor Art, my eldest brother, carried many pails of coal to keep us warm and we’ve laughed, over the years, at how one of his arms must be longer than the other, from carrying that coal and then, kerosene, in the summer.

Dad died in 1970 at 58 years old.  Norm followed him to heaven in 1985, at 55.  Mom lived until 1995.  She was just six weeks short of 80.

My dear sister, Joan, the oldest sibling passed away in 2002, at 67 years old.  I don’t believe I’ve ever felt so devastated in my life.  I’ve often wondered why her death hit me so much harder than the other people that I loved and still miss.  I think maybe, because it made me think of my own mortality, I don’t know.  I still can’t look at her picture without crying, but she’s always here, in my heart. 

Now, in the autumn, maybe winter of my life, I think about how things have changed. My oldest brother lives half of the year in Florida. My little sis lives just thirty miles away.  She’s a widow also.  I’ve been estranged from my youngest brother for several years.  I have no idea why, but have learned to live with it.

I had one child, who gave me four grandkids.  She and her husband are both in the medical field. The kids have everything.  They drive nice cars, have a lovely pool in the yard and have never been cold, or hungry, thank God.

I spend time with them and my two sisters-in-law.  One, I’ve been friends with since we were five years old and ended up marrying brothers.  The other is the sister of our husbands. She’s also my friend. 

Life is good.