In Memory

If you're looking for the funny, witty, latest-drama-at-the-middle-school post, come back tomorrow; I will be back on my game then. Today is a solomn day in my life, and try as I might, I can never escape it. It has been around every bend and corner all day long and I have tried my best to bury my head under the covers and pretend today is not January 30th. I loathe January 30th. But yes it is January 30th and yes, I have done everything in my power to stay busy today so the hours will pass quickly and it will be January 31st. And I will have survived the 37th anniversary.

On January 30, 1971, my mom died. I was four years old. (Almost 5, but four nonetheless).

This has been a year of growth for me, and as a testament to that, I am not focusing on the negative or the harshness of growing up without my mother. Last year, maybe. Year before that, definitely. But this year, I have even embraced the winter as I never have before. All last night and today, I have been thinking about what has changed in the past 37 years. Stop for a minute (assuming you are still reading...) and think about all we have today that is not 37 years old.

1. Microwaves
2. Cell Phones
3. Cruise Control
4. Standard A/C in cars
5. Cordless Phones
6. Computers (and all that entails!)
7. Cable TV
8. Video Games
9. Decorative Flags for the front porch
10.Dishwashers
11.Coffee Makers and instant coffee
12.CD/DVRs
13.Electric garage door openers
14.American Idol
15.Pay-at-the-pump gas stations
16.Self-service gas stations (the attendants actually put it in your car and cleaned your windshield and checked your oil while the gas was going in your car!)
17.Answering Machines
18.Hospital visiting hours all day long even for kids under the age of 12
19.Nurses wearing scrubs instead of sterile white
20.Private hospital rooms
21.Girls on a sports team
22.Guys teaching in the classroom
23.water and ice in the door
24.Remote Control TVs (or cars or airplanes)
25.Air Conditioning in campers
26.DQ Brazier in my hometown - it was only a walk-up DQ that closed in the winter
27.Glider Rockers
28.Electronic door locks
29.Electronic windows
30.Rear window defrost
31.Garbage disposals

And the list could go on and on and on. The things we we use on a daily basis that wasn't around when Mom was alive. And it will be interesting to look back in 37 more years and see what has changed!