Remembering My Mother’s Struggles and Beauty on Her 99th Birthday

Today would have been my mother’s 99th birthday. A remarkable woman, she raised two children by herself on a bookkeeper’s salary. Once, when she asked her male boss for a much-needed raise, he told her raises were only for men, who had families to support.

I tell other stories about how she was treated by men and the strength she showed in dealing with them in the memoir I’m working on, which includes the days around her death.

Don’t worry, I tell stories about happier times and events too!

It’s Not Whether You Get Knocked Down…

I watched some of Sunday’s Super Bowl, including a commercial with a Vince Lombardi figure. Apparently, he said, “It’s not whether you got knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.”

What I heard, though, was: “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get knocked up.” Which I thought was wise in its own way.