Christmas of Many Years Past

My mother passed away last September.  I was not able to afford to keep her house payments up, so we decided to sell it.  It was a fast sale, so we had to pack, sort, and trash everything very quickly.

I came across several disposable cameras and undeveloped rolls of film.  My curiosity won over my better judgement and I took them all to get developed.  This is my son and I at my Aunt Nell’s house around Christmastime.  I am not sure of the year, but the camera says 1998!  Which is completely wrong.

My mother, Joyce and my Aunt Nell looked so happy here.  I wish I knew what year this was and why mother didn’t develop these before now.  Mother just had to go see her sister at Christmas every year!  Even if it wasn’t on Christmas Day.  Such close sisters, I am sure my Aunt Nell will never experience Christmas without her sister with her the same way.

I know this was my aunt’s house, but that’s about it.  My uncle Ken is in the background here.  They were definitely related, my mother was the prettier one! (jk)  Mother never wore makeup and never dyed her hair.  She was not vain that way, naturally beautiful until her last day.

My daughter, Sarah and my son, Stephen and I having dinner with a young cousin.  She now has children and Sarah was born in 1991, so I am positive that it’s not 1998!  I was never a fan of the Sarah face in photos.  she didn’t like many people taking photos of her.  Her sister and me got great shots of her every time.  Somewhere there is a selfie of Sarah that’s so funny.

My brother Eddie and my mother’s friend Carol, who is a thoughtful gift giver must have made Eddie’s wish come true because he seems really happy about whatever he received here.  It is difficult to tell, but it kinda looks like underwear.

Chris and Carol having a wonderful conversation that they didn’t even know they were being photographed at all!  It is rather heartwarming having some candid moments in life caught for future generations to ponder over and wonder what was so important at this moment.

Sarah, looking rather pensive here.  I am not sure what she was doing, but she looked like she was deep thought about something important. She probably didn’t think that eleven years after her death, her mother would find lost photos of her.  I hope she was thinking about having to return to school or that maybe she did’t get what she wanted for Christmas or she got exactly what she wanted and just wanted to go to bed!

Carol and Bob, the best couple in the world as far as I am concerned.  They seemed really happy here.  Mother worked with Carol for most of my life and I had once thought she was another auntie.  She was always there for mother.

During one of mother’s surgeries, Carol came and sat with me until mother got out of surgery.  I will always have a big place in my heart for her.