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Mother’s Day

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I am Margie, daughter of Margaret, daughter of Bertha, daughter of Margaret, daughter of Mary Ann, daughter of Mary Ann, daughter of Drusilla, daughter of Mary. And the line goes on further than I can ever know. It has taken all these mothers and then some to make me. Mother and daughter is not always an easy relationship, but it is an unavoidable strong bond.

Grandpap, Granny, Margaret [Mom], and Marie
Other than my mother, Margaret, and her grandmother, Margaret “Maggie,” [aka Granny] I did not know any of these women, but I bear their genes and probably some of their personal characteristics. I am grateful that they persevered and managed to birth and raise their children; however not all of them were able to see their daughters into being women. That was the story of my grandmother, Bertha. Had it not been for Granny, I would likely not exist. Although Granny had a six-month-old baby when my mother was born to Bertha, she took Mom to raise when Bertha died six months later. Actually, she had been mothering both babies all along. Bertha had TB and was not able to care for Mom. Granny nursed both girls—Marie and Margaret. Mom weighed about 2 pounds when she was born. Granny settled her into a blanket lined drawer set on two chairs behind the wood stove, a sort of make shift incubator before incubators were widely used. The two girls were raised as twins. Mom was around nine before she learned that her sister was really her aunt.

Granny was the matriarch that held Mom’s extended family together. All the uncles, aunts, and numerous cousins stayed in contact as long as Granny lived. You never knew when an uncle from Pennsylvania, a cousin from Ohio, or just down the road would show up at Granny’s home, especially on a Sunday afternoon. They all told stories of by-gone days and rehashed memories.

For Mother’s Day, I am giving you a gift. It is a story that I wrote nearly 30 years ago. The title is Granny’s Day. Although it is not about my Granny, it does embody the spirit of a matriarch such as mine and others I have known. Follow the link, Granny’s Day to read a story of a matriarch of a large extended family.

Enjoy and leave a memory or two in the comment section.

This article was written by Margie Campbell

I have been "writing" since I could first hold a pencil. I would fill lines with squiggles thinking that could convey my ideas to the world. As I grew, so did my interest in writing. It really helped when I learned to make letters and to combine them into "real" words. I have a degree in creative writing and a Master's in English (tech writing specialty). I am retired from teaching all types of writing as an adjunct at community colleges in VA, MD, Ohio, and WV.

5 thoughts on “Mother’s Day”

  1. Your Mother’s Day post explains a lot about why your mother was the way she was. Boy were women (incl. your grandmother and mother) tough and awesome then!

    As for “Granny’s Day,” the tone is as authentic as in Picture Puzzle. I think you are an extremely gifted writer whose work needs to be published and read! Thank you for a truly touching gift.

  3. As wonderful as your great grandmother may have been, it must have been so sad for your mother’s mother not to have been able to parent and also to been denied recognition as her baby’s mother?

    1. Kim,
      Thank you for your comment. Yes, it is a sad story. I think Bertha was too ill to be concerned. She did live only six months after my mom was born. In addition, Mom’s dad died when she was two. Many young adults died in the early part of the 20th century. TB was a wide spread, communicable disease then.

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