March Challenge…Mom and Dad
My mother and father have been gone for many years however their imprint on what makes me who I am continues to hover around me.
Where my Aunt Berda was a fierce piece of work, my mother was soft spoken and kind to everyone. My most consistent memory of her was how much time and effort she spent finding the perfect gift for someone.
It didn’t matter whether the recipient of the gift was a relative or close friend, or someone that was an acquaintance, she could spend all morning on finding the right gift. In her words…I want to find something they want or could use but wouldn’t buy for themselves.
One pet peeve of hers was grammar. I rarely was disciplined (I admit to being a kind of boring kid who followed the rules) unless I used a word incorrectly. Consequently, it’s like nails on a chalkboard to me when I hear “Me and Joe….” or “Her and I ….”
Mom is in the middle in a white blouse. Just to her left is my father
My father was born in Arizona and in addition to English, he spoke Chinese and Spanish. When Cubans moved to Houston, he often interpreted for them and helped them with filling out forms, etc for licenses and other documents.
During WWII, he was in the Army Air Corps and worked as a photographer. He was on one of the planes on D-Day when the Allies invaded occupied France.
One of my favorite memories is watching him develop his own photos. I can still smell the developing fluid. My father taught me how to “stage” a photo. He also read a lot and could converse with anyone about almost any topic.
Neither of my parents were what would be helicopter parents by today’s standards. I was never given a curfew but never needed one. They worked hard in our small grocery store and the rest of the time was spent with the family.
My one regret with my parents and all of my aunts, uncles, grandparents and other relatives is that I did not take notes on all of the stories they told.
This has been my third entry in this month’s March 2025 AR Challenge: Sharing The Gift Of Who You Are hosted by Patricia Feager and Lew Corcoran.
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