Tonight I was looking through some old photo albums of Mother's (Don's Mother.) Tucked in with the albums was a tiny book that someone had given her called "Reflections from a Mother's Heart." It had a page for every day of the year.
Each page asked the Mother some question, and then there was space for the Mother to
write her response to the question.
Even years ago this kind of written response would have been difficult for Mother. She loved to talk, but didn't enjoy writing. I know that letters were quite a chore for her. Of course, now even talking has become a chore. I think there are some ideas left in that mind, but the right words simply cannot find there way out.
I looked through the little book. It says you should leave these reflections in written form for later generations to get to know what you were like. I know that I have a couple of my mother's diaries, and I love reading about her day by day life when she was a teenager.
Well, I have become more and more negligent about this blogging. Didn't I warn you about this? I have been really busy with other things: nursing home visits, volunteer work, and I've been having a lot of fun in my reclaimed office/craft room.
At our Friends of LIbrary we have been swamped with old magazines to sell by the sacks full. I mean BURIED in magazines. So I have been coming up with, and trying out crafts that use magazines as the raw material. It has been fun, and I plan a display and how-to demonstrations at our sale this coming Friday and Saturday. But it has been a lot of work getting this ready.
Anyway, I've decided that I will take some of the questions from Mother's little book and try to answer one at a time in my blog. Today's question is: "Who gave you your name? And did you ever have any nicknames?"
My mother told me that my arrival was quite a unique event in a family where there were only boys --- four of them! So my mother and dad let the boys name me. I'm not sure that it was such a good idea. Where in the world did they come up with the name, Phyllis? Although it may have been a popular name for say... a month? A day or two? I do know a few women my age who have the same name. They also brought people in from off the street to see this strange new creature. "What...A girl?
Can you believe it?" I'm sure the mail man was delighted. He had probably seen girls before.
I keep telling Don that I have a sure-fire way to take years off my life. All I need to do is change my name. What do you think? Maybe Madison? Or Tiffany? Or
Brittany? I'm sure it would make me seem like a much younger person.
Now, for the second half of the question. Did I have any nicknames? My mother was always calling me something like Harriet or Agnes, and she often called me by my initials - P.A. I have always signed any card, letter, or note that I give to Don with those initials, too. Once Taylor asked his Grandpa, "Pa, why does Grandma sign her cards "Love, Pa?"
My maiden name was Phyllis Ann Green. I had a friend in high school who always called me "Green Ann," instead of Phyllis Ann. She said that I was so horribly naive that Green suited me much better than Phyllis. Well, she did live a much faster life than I did. In fact, a snail probably lived a faster life than I did.
So maybe I deserved the name. I saw Sandy the other day. She still calls me
"Green Ann." And I still live a pretty tame life.
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