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Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day

Mother c. 1943 Normal School Teacher Training. Mother was a real looker--like Hollywood actresses of the day.

This is the first Mother's Day without my mother. I know it's a created occassion and has been commercialized over the years, but still it represents an idea of honoring one's mother. I kept wanting to go to the card sections of stores and have been feeling that I'm forgetting to do something. I suppose that as time passes, I will get used to not doing all the things that I have done every year--bake a cake, get flowers, and since 2005 spend a portion of the day with Mother at the EG. This year, Dave and I are going to the cemetery.

I have scanned some pictures--they are old and they don't always scan well, so bear with me!

Mother on the left with some of her students at Bruyere School 1946--preparing for the school concert

Mother and her best friend, Elsie Powley--1947. Elsie got married that year and Mother was her Maid of Honor. Elsie was Mother's Matron of Honor when my parents married 2 years later.

My mother was not always an easy person to know or live with--she was the boss, things had to be her way, and she had very definite ideas about how things should be and what people should be doing--including me of course. Mother was a teacher by profession and I always thought she was a great teacher, but not the warm, fuzzy mother-type, She was ahead of her time in many ways. She went back to work after I was born ( and this was in the 1950's), she designed a house without any training and then proceeded to build that house. She went back to university to finish her B.Ed. in 1970, the same year I started university. We graduated at the same time in 1975.


1953

c.1957 I love this picture--Mother is looking gorgeous and I'm squinting from the sun and wearing a pink organza dress that Mother made. I still have it. Don't look at the ugly oxfords I had to wear!

Although I struggled throughout most of my life with feeling that I was somewhat of a disappointment to Mother, in the last few years of her life, while she could still talk, she did tell me, on more than one occassion, that she thought I was great and that I did everything so well. Kind of a bittersweet situation. But I owe my mother so much--she showed me by example that a woman could and should be tough and strong, and be able to do things and not need to lean on a man. Everything that I do have a talent for, she taught me those skills and was top-notch in them herself--sewing, cooking, baking, gardening. She encouraged my education and my love of reading. She always did want the best for me.


Grandma, Mother and I--c. 1973. Peasant blouses were in!

Pinning on Mother's corsage at my parents' 60th Anniversary party.



I miss you Mother. Love you forever.

4 comments:

JM said...

What a beautiful tribute. ((HUGS))

onecollie said...

I've been thinking about you alot today Dianne, I agree, what a beautiful tribute!
Wonderful pictures, you look like your mom!!!

Dianne SS said...

Jacqueline: Thank you so much. You know what it's like to have differences with one's mother, but at the end of the day, our mothers looked after us and they tried their best to give us a good life.

Jolene:Thank you for those thoughts and your caring. Most people say that I look like her!

Squishy said...

Nice post. I really enjoyed reading it. That pain on Mother's Day is funny, even if you had your differences. It's been so long since my mom died ('82) that now there have been so many different women in my life that have taken a small place in the role. Never the same though. I miss my mom and I have the dreams that connect us. I can't wait to see her again. I cry when I think about it.