One of the prompts today on Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop was:
2). If my Mom wrote a blog.
The idea of my mother writing a blog is so far-fetched, it’s difficult for me to even pretend. She was born in 1910, and although she saw the creation of many inventions in her 85 years, the computer and internet were beyond her wildest dreams. Below are excerpts from “her blog”, as factual as I can make them – based on stories told to me by my mom and her siblings.
June 16, 1927
I wanted to share this picture that was taken recently of my baby sister, Sarah, and me. She’s really getting big. I can’t believe she’s already two years old. She’s pretty spoiled, being the baby of 12 children. Even Mama and Papa are spoiling her, since they know she’ll be the last baby they’ll have.
When she’s older, she’ll be proud to say she was born in Bacon’s Castle, the only one of us in the family to be born here in this house.
December 30, 1942
This picture of Willie, the girls and I was taken on Christmas day. You can tell the weather was cold by how bundled up we all were. Santa brought Rose those paper dolls and she carried them around all day. We haven’t had many pictures taken of us as a family, so I’ll always treasure this.
July 27, 1955
My brother, Stanley and his family came to visit from their home Pennsylvania, as they do each year around this time. Betty, his wife, took this picture of us out in the yard. That’s me on the left with my little girl, Dianna, on my lap. Mama’s sitting next to me, Stanley is to her left and my sister, Lucille is to his left. The little girl standing beside me is Stanley’s daughter, Christine. They always seem to visit during the hottest part of the summer.
April 20, 1988
My daughter, June, took me to Myrtle Beach for a couple of days. It’s one of the few times I’ve ever been out of Virginia. We had a wonderful time, and everyone seems to like this picture she took of me. I guess pink is my color.
April 25, 1995
My, how the years have passed. Here I am, 85 years old. My children and grandchildren visit me often. I love to see them and I’m thankful they live nearby.
I’ve had a good life – sometimes a hard life – but a good one. The Lord has given me strength to face everything this far, and I know He’ll give me strength for my journey home.
This is the final entry in my mother’s blog. On May 5, 1995, she made that journey home.
these days of mine 
What an intimate and creative way to pay tribute to your Mom. My eyes are blurry, but this is a good, good thing. April 25th will be the 7th anniversary of the date my mom made her ‘journey home’. Thank you for this. Cheryl
Your Mom sounds a lot like mine in all our conversations. Miss mine like you do, but glad their journey in this life is over, and their new ones begun.
This was lovely. My mom is still with us in spirit, but her body isn’t very willing. It’s hard for me to live 300 miles away and know that every day I miss something I will want to remember later. Thanks for sharing your mother with us.
This was so heartwarming and charming. I feel like I’ve gotten to know you a bit better in getting to know your Mom.
What a nice way to look back at her life…creating blog entries for her.
We must be kin, as sisters wrote so many wonderful and happy times about their life and family (also some bad times). My mother wrote in a journal every day and told of their childhood, parents and later about us and all of our kin (you included,but all good). Love you—–jj
What a wonderful way to share your mother with the rest of us. Very clever! I loved it. I think my favorite picture out of them all is the one where you are all on the lawn trying to stay cool.
I love the way you approached this prompt. A beautiful tribute to your mother.
What a wonderful tribute to your mother. I loved the picture out on the lawn. Mothers always wore dresses didn’t they? And the last picture looks like June. Thanks for sharing your memories.
Even though I was in my 50’s when Mama died, I still felt like an orphan and I’m sure you do, too, Dianne! She’ll always be in our hearts….thank you for the wonderful reminders of her life.
Yes, a wonderful tribute … and I think that if she were to have ever written a blog, it would probably read a lot like this! And, I bet if she’d had a good camera, there would be excellent pictures on her blog!!
you are a brave soul to be able to do this. i couldn’t have. very touching. 🙂
what a tribute to your mom.
My throat is now sore after reading that… so real. I love looking at older photos and hearing the stories behind them… One thing I miss about working in a nursing home, was meeting with my residents and listening as they shared photos and memories of their families.. and the stories behind the photos.. One resident came from Germany and had a photo of her husband in his military uniform … he was a soldier in Hitler’s Army… she said that he was so young and he didn’t want to fight.. had no problem with the US but served and fought because he had to… she said as soon as the war ended, they left Germany to start over in the States but he was never the same… she said she kept the photos of him from when he was young so that she would only remember the good times they had together, on the days she could remember anything at all.. She had some pretty amazing stories to share on the days she was clear…
loved this post… I just sent a link of it to my mom and sister to read as well.
What great pictures and stories behind them. Your mom’s blog would have been sweet and filled with many memories.
What a lovely remembrance! This is a beautiful post, Dianna.
Dianna, this is precious! How wonderful to have these words written by your mother. Just last week my sister brought a little notebook to me in which Mama had written down the quilts she had sold and the states where they went. Little things that make our hearts warm.
What a beautiful memorial to your Mom’s memory. You’re a sweet daughter to write such lovely thoughts for your Mom. I know she would be proud. 🙂
I remember your mom well. I kn0w you miss her. You did a great job by posting “her blog”. This was very moving!
What a wonderful way to share what your mother was like. This was a great representation of a life, and I think (without knowing your mother, of course) you got the voice just right for someone of that generation. She sounds strong, and it looks like she passed that on to you.
Loved your take on this prompt! Such a beautiful tribute…made me a little teary eyed.
Dianna, I loved the way you used this prompt. So intimate and creative. You had me choked up at the end, knowing you lost your mother so many years ago. Thanks for sharing these snapshots of her life. A beautiful way to honor a special person.
This is a beautiful post! Love the pictures, and the stories behind them.
That was lovely. My father passed away on November 28 of last year from congestive heart failure. He had been very ill for a long time and was becoming progressively more demented. I certainly can’t imagine him having written a blog, but it seems more plausible than my mother using a computer at all!
Dianna, your mother would be very proud of the woman you have become. What a wonderful tribute to your lovely Mother.