Brothers and Sisters Forever

As I was growing up the 4th child of 6 we would think everything was great. My parents did not have any money, only my father worked day and night . My mom stayed home with us. We had a huge garden and we did a lot of canning and freezing but we were happy. In the summer we went swimming after chores were done , to the community pool. I remember that we would entertain ourselves in the sandbox, at times just laying in the grass and looking for 4 leaf clovers. Watching the clouds and making shapes out of them. We of course did not have computers or high tech games we played board games and we loved it.

In the winter we would sled ride and ice skate on the pond and creek near us. The best memories are Saturday nights my aunt and uncle would stop and everyone would sit around and play cards, have ice cream and enjoy the cake my mother would have baked that day. She would bake every Saturday. Soon those times would come to an end.

My father was electrocuted when I was 11. Some of those times continued but they were harder now. My mother had to be both mom and dad and she was amazing at this. As we got older and got married one by one. We would make a habit of coming home for Sunday night homemade pizza. Slowly my family
started falling apart. Sibling rivalry took over. My oldest sister went to college and had a great job and left the area. My oldest brother for some reason was always jealous of her or so it seemed. He always said she thought she was better then us now. That was not true, I always knew that she loved her family no matter what. She worked hard for everything she had.

My mother is now 80 and has to live in nursing home.My mother would never come to live with any of us. She always said she would never disrupt our lives. My oldest sister and brother are fighting now. I am not sure that we have a family anymore. How do we have family fun again. Don't they recall the memories that I recall? I just want to get my brothers and sisters together lay down in the back yard and look at the clouds. Hunt for 4 leaf clovers and play tag one last time. But will that ever happen?

I will have to let you know in a few weeks.