Happy 97th Birthday Mom!

"Social Distancing" at Mom's Birthday dinner. We have decided that I will be Mom's main contact with the world too keep her safe from the virus

My Mom wrote letter's to my Dad every day during WW2 and much of her advice and thoughts are perfect to help us get through this difficult time with the corona virus and so many of our U.S cities burning and property being destroyed by antifa or others taking advantage of unrest. Here are some of her direct quotes from her World War Two letters:

Her advice on praying and keeping our spirits up:

"When the lights come on again all over the world everything will be all right once more and all this will be only a memory, so all we can do now is to keep smiling and pray for a better world"

Here's her advice about shortages:

– Today I had two eggs for my lunch. It’s such a long time since I have had two at a meal. I really appreciated them. A very kind old friend of ours who has a farm brought us in a dozen. One thing about this was, it makes you appreciate things. When you are so accustomed to having everything, it all becomes very ordinary & commonplace & when you have to do without them for a while they suddenly become quite valuable. On Saturday too, Mrs. McSweeney brought us some cream. It tasted wonderful. I think it must be our lucky week.

Her advice on love and needing others:
Darling, please let me know if there is anything you want and I’ll send it up to you. No eggs yet, but as soon as we get some I’ll commandeer them and make you some cookies. By the was, thank you very much for offering to put the world at my feet, but I really don’t need the world dear, all I need is you.

When Dad was feeling down with the endless war (as we might feel down about this seeming endless pandemic) she said:

Please don't think that everything in the world is bad. Surely very much is bad, but then so much is good and beautiful. Countless people all over the world are giving up all their spare time to help others less fortunate. Surely these balance, yes they more than balance the bad elements in society. Probably where you are now there is more bad than good, but even there you'll find something beautiful if you really look hard enough. It might be a dirty bedraggled little child, but beauty is not always on the surface. Last, but not least, there is our love. That, in my opinion, is very beautiful and sacred. Darling, I want you to remember the beautiful things of life so that you can talk about them to our children, that they may be fine and pure and good, like their father. "Whatsoever things are beautiful, true and pure think on these things" for thoughts are the unconscious molders of character.