My Mom

  My memories of my mom are very dim.  Fortunately, I have my older sister to fill in some of the blanks for me.  I remember her being around but can't remember specific events.  Mom had some issues but my sister remembers many positive attributes about her.  Unfortunately, many people remember the negatives more then the positives.  I do remember her being gentle, and have no recollection of any behaviour to the contrary.  As a child, the last time I remember seeing her was when we moved  from Rensselaer, NY across the river to Albany.  I recall that there were still boxes to unpack, but the TV was operational and I was watching the Steve Allen Show.  I estimate I was about eight years old (1957).
  I was oblivious to the marital problems my mom and dad were having and before we had finished settling into the apartment, Dad drove me to Maine and I found myself living with his parents in Saco.
  It was thirty years later when I saw my mother again.  I was living in Vermont and my mom was living in Florida.  Occasionally she would visit her side of the family in upstate New York.  My older sister was living there, also, so on one of my mother's visit, my sister piled her into the car and drove her to Vermont to see me.  I was very happy about that, because, previously, I had invited my  mom to visit us but she never followed through.  I suspect guilt might have been one reason why she didn't come.  So it was good that she was 'kidnapped' and brought to see me.  It wasn't long after that she passed away so I am grateful to my sister for her action.