March Meandering – 2018 – International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day. While I am grateful to the more famous women pioneers for paving the way, I have to give a shout to some women closer to home:

My grandmother, Bertha. She spoke little English when she married my grandfather and yet she raised five children and cooked for all the workers at the old Geneva and Sunnydale Nursery. She stayed with us for a number of years while I was growing up and I remember her doing the washing, ironing and cleaning the kitchen. She lived until her late 90’s and I never heard her complain of being tired.

My mom’s twin sister, Antoinette (Auntie Annie to me).

Even though they used to have to dress alike, almost until the day my mom married, Annie showed me that you can still be an individual. She had a very different lifestyle than my mom!

Annie and my mom

Auntie Annie

Most of all my mom, who taught me everything about being a good wife and mother. How to be a lady with grace and style and yet have fun and sing and laugh with your friends.

She showed me that 90 years old is not too old to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time.

My sisters:

Judy, JoAnne, mom, me, Jaye

JoAnne was the oldest. She was 12 years older than I. She taught me that it was okay to have a career and have a family. She raised two boys and took care of my brother-in-law who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I never heard her say anything about feeling sorry for herself or complain about missing out on things. Sadly, we lost her before she was 60. Way too soon.

Judy was my confidant. There are 10 years between us. She helped me through my rough teen years and listened to my woes about not having a boyfriend, blah, blah, blah.

Jaye is 5 years younger than I and while I wouldn’t have thought it, she actually is teaching me that it is never too old to make a new life story.

And of course there are my girls, women themselves now, who teach me something new all the time about navigating through the changing world in which we live.