Resilience

The true strength of character and deep abiding love for other people

A woman who has seen much and done more, this is my mother
a woman of character and vulnerability, both
Stable farm-raised girl followed by early marriage at 17 with an older man
uprooted and uncertain, she became a young mother at 19
with a prematurely born infant and no housekeeping or mothering skills
("every other kid either would work in the barn or did housekeeping with Mama...
I worked in the dairy barn")
The infant was a terror, constantly crying and fussing with a distraught mom tearing her hair out
The girl-child, still strange, was joined by a sister, and the circus continued
moves and moves followed by moves, sometimes within miles and often between states
Time passed; possessions became her anchor and emotional support... and the piles started.
Another move, this time to Maine, and a boy-child was born.
Epiphany by Jack, her husband and yet another move to Pennsylvania and her home region.
Gettysburg busses, Nursing Assistant then LPN became her contribution while daddy went to school and started work as a minister.
Moves and moves, again the the piles grew.
Then, daddy died... of a heart attack and she was a widow at 40.
RN school became imperative.