A Motherless Daughter

 My mother has been dead for almost 50 years.  I don't remember her very well.  My sister has family pictures and each year at Christmas, she makes me a calendar filled with these old photos.  I love seeing them and some of them provoke old memories.  This one of my mom was taken way before I was born.  I always wonder what she was like and what she would be like if she was still around today.  For one thing, she would be old.  It is really hard imagining what she would have been like as an old lady.


 She was long gone by the time I became a mother.  Here I am with a brand new shiny Blog Tech.  My little Canadian.


 My mom was only 40 when she died.  You can see she looks much older here.  This was a year before she died.

 It would have been nice to have her around to see The Mini Blog Tech.


 And his little sister.


 I had to teach myself how to be a mother.


 It has been the best experience of my life.  The Blog Tech had a bad case of 'sticking up in the air hair' for a year or so.


 Then he and his sister grew up and went through their "modeling' years.


 She stuck to it and still has an impeccable sense of fashion, whereas The Blog Tech now is more into dressing for comfort!


He still has not grown out of his clown phase though.  He is still quite the clown!


*  A mother is a person who seeing there are only 4 pieces of pie for 5 people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.


And this is my favorite which I remind my kids of constantly:  You can fool some of the people some of the time but can't fool your mother.


Happy Mother's Day!!!

Comments

Barbara F. said…
I would say, Joyce, you had an innate sense of how to be a wonderful nurturing mom. Your kids were adorable babies! Happy Mother's Day, and I bet you are cooking up something! xo
Anonymous said…
sos so sorry your Mum left this world so young, that makes for a hard childhood and a bit of an empty spot I'm sure, your love for children is apparent , I love that quote, you can never fool your mother, have a happy mother's day, enjoy your day,
Candace said…
Happy Mother's Day, Joyce! Such a lovely post!
Cheers!
Your Mom was so young to pass away . . . forty, my goodness. But she lives on in you and your kids. And some day . . . . their kids!
What a beautiful post. I know your mom would be so proud of you and her grandchildren. Happy Mother's Day.
brokenteepee said…
I lost my mom way too early as well. She never got to see her grandchildren either.

I am sure your children know they have an excellent mother.
Happy Mother's Day!
Anonymous said…
Wonderful pictures !!! Happy Mother's Day to you too !!
Robin Larkspur said…
You have to be one of the best moms around...I am positive your kids had a fantastic childhood. So tough for you to lose your mom so long ago.
petoskystone said…
So young your Mother was when she left. Such lovely photos, & a wonderful job you've done being Mommy.
luckybunny said…
Lovely post - and I adore that quote. I'll have to write it down because it sums how I often think of my mother and how I would feel if I was a mother to human children. It's a big job. I loved the pictures and hugs to you and Happy Mother's day!
Nellie said…
This is a very special post, Joyce. I am sorry you lost your mother at such a young age. Mine has been gone since 1983, and I think of her every day.

Happy Mother's Day!
TARYTERRE said…
You missed so much I know because your mom passed when you were so small. It is wonderful that your sister does what she does to keep her memory alive. You taught yourself how to be a mom and did it well. So many memories in those photos. I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day. you take care. PS)Please keep my daughter in your prayers, if you can. They just discovered 3 spots on her lungs. she's never smoked. And a big mass on her liver. They're going to do a biopsy soon. I am praying with all my heart these things are benign. She's only 36 and has two small children. You never know what the good Lord is going to throw your way. This past month everything was in transition about something else. This week we are confronted with this news. All you can do is pray.
Barb said…
This was a lovely post full of wonderful pictures!I hope your Mother's Day was super!
jody said…
your mum was way to young and so were you... i recently lost my man at 50 yrs.. feel bad for my children too. memories and pictures are a wonderful thing! thank you soo much for the recent garden tour, i am heading out to mine soon. peaceful and quiet! enjoy your day!
Thank you for sharing these family photos. So nice to see them.

Btw, magically, when I came here today, no funny box popped up.

Magic, I say! ,-)

Or perhaps it was simply, the Blog Tech...?
Ashling said…
What a wonderful, loving post...sounds like you did a great job "teaching yourself to be a mother".
chickpea678 said…
What a beautiful post Joyce. Loved the pics of the kids and you look cute as a button as a new mom. Hope you had a nice mothers day!
Hmm..the Blog Tech looks a wee like a Warlock. :) Very beautiful baby and a very handsome young man. Oh what a burden! :)
Adorable children, Joyce, and I am not likely to say so if I don't mean it. Yep...I know good looking when I see it.
Ok..so now I am off to try (again to catch up and see if the BRACE is off the arm...but got a feeling it might not be.
P.S. I think, from what little I know of you, that you have a very strong instinct to Mother others, IF deserving and even when not.
Anonymous said…
I can't imagine losing my mother at such a young age... I find the pieces of your life that you share with us absolutely fascinating - I keep my fingers crossed for a "this is your life" type of post, I'm so curious to know what lead to all of your travels (work? pleasure? military?)How you came to settle at your current home which is just gogeous...etc. Thanks for this blog, I look forward to it every day!