Happy Birthday to My Sainted Mother

Never an August 4th passes that I don't think about my mother.  Her name was Madeline, everyone called her Madge.  Her mother was French, right down to the French Accent and my mother took French in high school at the request of her mother I suppose.  The teacher never could understand how the daughter of a Real French Woman could have such a horrible french accent.  At least thats the story my mother used to tell me.

My mom passed away in 1987 on July 4th.  Just one month short of her 71st birthday.  Truth be told there have been a couple of times since then that I was grateful she was not alive to see the horrific events that have happened in her family in the time since then.  I don't think she could have withstood the sadness of these "events"... and I truly thank God that she did not have to suffer the losses of her granddaughter, my oldest girl child, and the loss of my sisters, her own "girls".

My mother was one of the kindest humans you would ever meet.  She never met a stranger.  Everyone who knew her loved her.  She was a "tearoom waitress" in an upscale Tearoom located in Smith & Welton's a "fine department store" in downtown Norfolk.  Among some of her "customers" were politicians, lawyers, authors and newspaper columnists.  She was featured in the columns in the Virginian Pilot more than a time or two.  As I already mentioned, everyone who knew her loved her.

There was more than once or twice that my father brought home company at dinner time and my mother gave up her own dinner for a guest.  She loved being able to do that, not going without her own dinner, but being able to share what she had with someone else.  Dinner, companionship, humor, she shared it all with anyone in her life.

My sisters were known to all who knew my mother as "Madge's Girls" - there were three of us and we were known as a group - some days I truly wish I knew someone who would label me that way again...... Madge's Girls - being part of that came with responsibility to be kind, considerate and always polite. 

I'm really missing her today.  Happy Birthday to you, Mother!!