WHAT WERE YOUR MOTHER’S BEST TRAITS? HER WORST? THE ONES YOU SHARE

Oh! Mylanta! Do we even have to go there? I am my mother's daughter whether that's a credit to her or not!

Her absolute best trait is that she was there. She was a stay at home mom. I never returned home from school and found the house empty or locked. Well, I take that back. One time I returned home and the neighbor ran out to get me and said I was supposed to stay there for a few hours. Mom had a miscarriage and it must have been pretty bad, because the ambulance came to get her.

Mom seemed to be non-plused about any emergency. Looking back I recognize it as a willful intent to keep from coming apart and to try to keep the rest of the family from falling apart.

She wasn’t afraid of talking very matter-of-factly about things that much of society would not even want to admit to thinking about. She was eating breakfast (2 eggs and 2 toast) when she told me the ‘facts of life’.

She strove to keep the family together, through all and any challenges.

Worst? Didn’t keep the house clean. Smoked too many cigarettes. Let dad get away with physically abusing her and the kids. Swore like a sailor. Got all shaky and anxious whenever any of the kids had any blood oozing-worse if it was spurting.

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