Happy Birthday, Mom!

Dear Diary,

Today would have been my mother's 94th birthday and it is the first day of my "new year" in this journal.  This old photograph of her, taken around 1937 when she was 15 years old, was taken by her brother who just recently passed away on March 7th at the age of 96.  Mom was just a month shy of 80 when she passed on March 11,2002.  It is printed on very thin paper and looks like he printed it himself so perhaps he was taking a class in photography at the time.  Despite being a bit degraded, I've always loved this casual portrait of her so I thought I'd begin this new journal with it.

I have not forgotten my self portrait, which I've included as an extra today. I promised myself I would begin each journal with one.  I think it is always so interesting seeing ones parents as young people, teenagers.  We seldom think of them that way.  I'm sort of feeling the same about my own photographs from 50 years ago.  Sometimes I look at the photograph and think, "Who is that person?"

No matter what happens to the outside-and there is nothing we can do about that- that young person is still inside somewhere and I like to think that happy, beautiful young woman above was there inside my mother too at the end.  If we can just tap into that persona, even just occasionally, I think we can all live much happier lives however long they are.

Do not regret growing older.  It is a privilege denied to many.