Memorial Day Memories

I love this photo. My brother Russ looking so cute like Opie on Mayberry, my dad holding me on his lap with his ginormous hand resting on his leg with the other gently tucked around my arm; my mom looking spiffy in her dress, my sisters Mary Ann and Nancy with their sweet little bangs and fresh scrubbed faces. Besides wanting to honor our brave fallen soldiers on Memorial Day I want to honor my brother and my mom. I hear a lot about them now from my dad who is in the grip of dementia. His short term memory is fading quickly but his long-term memories are fresh and so he has many stories to share about my brother and my mom. Russ died in his late thirties at the peak of his career—but a man who accomplished so much in the time he was given and my mom died in her late sixties—a woman who loved to laugh and gave me these words of wisdom before she passed away, ” Now be sure to laugh every day!” Wise words that I’ve tried to apply to my life.
Happy Memories to you all.