Everything sublime is as difficult as it is rare. Baruch Spinoza

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Here and Now. Long Ago.

Okay....I do not photograph well, especially selfies. Something I inherited from my mother. As I wrote a few days ago, I have lost sixty pounds over the last two years. The health benefits are worth the effort and some of the less positive results. Old skin sags under the best of circumstances. Old skin that has been stretched by too much weight sags even more. Lets just say there is a lot of drooping going on around here.


Because I have no shame, a photo of me at twenty-three looking duh. This was not too long before I separated from husband # 1. I married too young. I won't get into the family dynamics which played a large roll in that happening, the reality is.... it did. 
 

Because it's Mothers Day, a very grainy photo of young me hours after baby boy was born. Now he is a fifty year old man. I am surprised I did as well raising him as I did. I know being me was sometimes difficult for him, especially his young teen years. I was not your run-of-the-mill mother. He asked me once why I couldn't be like all the other mothers. All I could tell him was because I'm not like all the other mothers. He turned out well, despite, and because of me. Of course, Mark played a role later on.


I am a bit melancholy this morning. Not sad, just reminiscing. We had a very, very nice time with son and his wife yesterday. I asked him how it felt to be fifty. He said good. I told him I thought that was probably the best decade of my life, overall. He thinks it will be for him. I hope so.

Happy Day to all the mothers out there. 

23 comments:

Rita said...

I think you look good...and not saggy!
My son will be turning 50 this year, too! On November 2nd.
Glad you had a nice visit with him and your DIL.
Happy Mother's Day!! :)

Sandi said...

Happy Mother's Day 🌸 You did a good job.

Boud said...

I'd say you did a terrific job. A son in a happy relationship, employed, has a dog, likes you. That's a lot.
Happy mother's day!

Anvilcloud said...

You may be right about the fifties. Most of us are relatively healthy then. Now, let me tell you about the seventies. 😊

The Happy Whisk said...

You look marvelous! Big huggs and thanks for sharing your photos with us.

Sandra said...

Rita, that's kind of you to say. Gravity wins, that's just the way it is. It was a nice visit. It feels odd to have a 50 year old "kid". You have a few months before the shock of it hits you!

Sandra said...

Thank you, Sandi!!

Sandra said...

Boud, I think I did better than would be expected. I guess we all make mistakes. He does have a content life. We cannot forget his two cats!

Sandra said...

Ivy, that may be a stretch but I appreciate it anyway!

Sandra said...

AC, you were put into spam. I think I found that a really good decade because I finally got grounded and and I was in good physical shape, strong and very busy. I have personal knowledge of the seventies and up til now it's not been great, you know something of that! But we are still vertical. Well, me, sort of. :)

Lori Skoog said...

So nice to SEE you! Your weekend sounded good and had to be what got you thinking. It's hard for me to believe that our daughters are 56 and soon to be 54...how did we get here?

Pixie said...

You're a beautiful woman. My son is forty now and I felt sad that I've been a mother for forty years now and the baby that turned me into a mother, is such a train wreck. Fortunately Katie gave me hugs.

The Happy Whisk said...

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Far Side of Fifty said...

Happy Mother's Day! I think you look great to have a fifty year old son!! Everyone mothers differently. Oh I enjoyed my 40's the most...50's and menopause threw me for a loop. My oldest daughter was 52 in April, my youngest will be 49 in September.

BootsandBraids said...

Long long ago,in the before time ... before my girls began appreciating me, I too was compared to a neighbor mother ... "Why can't you be like xxx. She stays home and bakes cookies" said Twin 2. "I can do that too", said I. "Except we'd have no money for food/your clothes, couldn't pay rent, end up on the streets if I stayed home, didn't go out and work every day". Then I pointed out how it was xxx's kids couldn't do anything for themselves, didn't know how to do anything for themselves, couldn't even go anywhere or enjoy the freedoms I allowed Twin 2. I never heard those words again from her. P.S. I think you look great.

Val Ewing said...

I think you look awesome.
I have 2 sons who are complete opposites. I'm just a mom. But it seems I've gained a bit more love from the boys now that they have kids. Maybe they have figured out how tough it is to be a parent.

Sandra said...

Lori, you somehow found the fountain of youth. It's not easy to get photos of myself because they have to be selfies and I just cannot do that well. Mark has no idea how to use the camera. Your daughters seem to have the same youth gene!

Sandra said...

Pixie, that is sad. When grown adults continue to make bad choices it's on them, not you. And...you have Katie and the gift of your grandson.

Sandra said...

Thank you, Far Side. I had early menopause, so that consumed my 40s. It's true we all mother differently, we are all different people. I also think it was difficult for him being an only child. Your daughter looks great and I think she is a treasure.

Sandra said...

Very good response, B&B! There's nothing more to say after that. Thank you for the compliment. Aging can catch you off guard.

Sandra said...

Why, thank you, Val! Now if I had your muscle tone and stamina. My son hasn't any children. He has lots of nieces and nephews through his wife.I think if they saw you as a mom, you were a good one.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

It was so nice to see you, Sandra, and kudos to you on that weight loss achievement. Sending late Mother's Day wishes and hope you had a wonderful family get together and birthday celebration, which seems like it went well.

Sandra said...

Thank you, Dorothy. We did have a really nice day.