My mom tells the story of how she traveled on a
bus from southern Ohio to Washington state. "People looked out for each
other then." Each driver would make sure she rode the correct bus to get
where she was going. With courage and a few dollars she made the trip to see Dad,
a soldier in World War 2. They were young, married parents living in a world of
uncertainty.
This past weekend, that sweet young girl turned
ninety-years old. Family gathered around her, sang to her, and ate cake. We celebrated
the life of a woman who has seen some crazy changes in her life. By the end of
the month she'll have witnessed sixteen different men sworn in as President. I'll
never forget coming home from school the day John Kennedy died and mom trying
to explain that to me, a first grader.
The year mom was born, Charles Lindberg made the
first transatlantic flight. Many years later, she gathered with us in front of
the television to watch a man land on the moon. Speaking of TV, Mom saw it
change from black and white one or two stations to 100s of cable channels with
a remote control.
Then there is the telephone. Remember the party line? You had to wait for
the neighbor to hang up before you could make a call. Now Mom uses a wireless
phone, but even better—she uses her iPad to
keep in touch with all of us on Facebook. She wanted to keep up with her
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And she has a slew of them.
Mom is one of the smartest ladies I know. She reads
everything. I attribute my great love of books to my mom. And yes, she's seen
that change too. Hello, Kindle!
So over the course of ninety years, my mom has
lived through square-shouldered jackets, Peter Pan colors, pill-box hats, bell
bottoms, polyester, and spandex. I mention fashion trends because Mom was a seamstress for our family. And she's an artist who paints beauty on canvas. Did I mention she was a business woman, dealing in antiques?
I can't imagine all that my mom has experienced in
her ninety years, but speaking for my family, we're glad to be a part of the
journey.