1946

I love this photo. My mother, Virginia, is on the far left, still single and having fun at age 30. She is with her adopted brother Lynn and his family. My adopted grandmother Nettie is in the middle. I think her pose is classic! That is just the way I remember her. I've always felt a special bond with her. She died in our home when I was 13.

It odd for me to see my cousins as children. They were young adults when I was born. My Aunt Afton is quite pretty in this photo. She was also older when I had association with her. The little guy in the suspenders is my cousin Val. I haven't seen him in years. I believe he had quite the fun, mischievous personality. When I was five and he was a young man he took me for a ride on his motorcycle because I was crying. We were at my Uncle Lynn's house and my older sibling and cousins had purposely ditched me. I felt vindicated by the rare and coveted motorcycle ride but the sense of triumph was dashed when my older sister and my cousins also got a ride. I felt it unjust that the perpetrators of my distress weren't deprived of the privilege for their cruelty. Ah, the sense of fairness children innately possess! I wanted justice to be dispensed. I wanted to be important enough to warrant such attention to my needs. But no such thing occurred and I remember coming to the conclusion that was I just being placated. Of course, these were feelings that had no articulation at the time.

I wonder what the occasion was as all three women and Marilyn the oldest daughter are wearing corsages.