In A Remembering Mood...

I guess with all that's gone on in the past week, I'm somewhat in a looking back mood. These three woman, these sisters were the major influence of my life.

My mom, Mary Lou, is on the right,who raised me and my five brothers and sisters.

Aunt Mack (Maxine), mom to my cousins Nancy Gale, Ray and Carol, who just lost her husband.

Aunt Pauline, mom of my cousins Michael and Bonnie.

These three were so different in so many ways and yet, so alike in so many ways.

This photo is the only one that I know of that has all of us cousins together. On the back row (l-r)is Nancy Gale, my oldest brother Bill, and my oldest sister Lou Ann. The next row (l-r) is my middle brother Walter, Ray Lynn and Michael. The two taller girls are my middle sister Sue and Carol. Then Bonnie with the gorgeous curls, my baby brother Bennett and yours truly.

I interrupted my story with this photo just because I had been talking to my cousins Carol and Nancy after the funeral and said something about it and since Carol reads my blog, she and Nancy can see the photo and print it off so they will have a copy.

But I digress... or is it regress?? Back to the sisters.


In their growing up, they were raised out in Canadian Texas, along with their brother Tom. It was not, I'm sure, the easiest time, but I never heard any of them tell anything but fun stories about growing up. Any other stories that were told were just like, well, that was life and you dealt with it.

I think all of the sisters, and Uncle Tom, too, really, really to this little girl, enjoyed each others company. Aunt Paul lived in California after she married and every time she was able to come home, to Okla. City, it was all about the girls.


She always brought Bonnie with her and whether she was at our home, or at Aunt Mack's or we were all together at either home, all us girls loved being together. And we all saw the love and the trust between our moms. We never, back then, thought about that part of the relationship, but looking back now that I'm getting older, it is one of those things you carry with you.

They each had their burdens they carried, but they each dealt with them in their quiet steady way. But the one thing I know is how much love they had... for each other and for their children.

The last photo is one that was taken on an Easter Sunday, about sixty years ago. On the left is Aunt Mack is behind Carol, Nancy is behind me, Mom is behind Sue and Lou Ann is next to mom. This one, too, is for my cousins. Because I love them and have so enjoyed the time we had this week to talk and remember...

I love being with my family... they are who makes me feel complete.