I am my mother's daughter.

Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, I have many of my Mom's genes. Some,I try hard to suppress, more than others, but there are some that stick out a mile. There's no way,I could suppress them all.

Mom has done many of the crafts in her life time, that I am now doing today. She still has enough mind left to tell me about all of the things she use to make and do, but has no memory of things that happened five minutes ago.Her short term memory is taking a hit at present. Her long term memory is fine, to a point. She can tell me stories of things that have happened in her life,from the time she was a very small child.Strange how Alzheimer's works on the mind.

Nevertheless, Mom has been purging her home of every single thing she feels she no longer needs. I think she feels. in this way, she is making the job easier to us kids,after she is gone.Having to sort through all of her junk,which in most cases, means nothing to anyone but her.Pictured above are a few of the trinkets she has saved for me. She knows how I love to collect and use everything under the sun when making my crafts.In most cases, things others would toss in the trash, in a heartbeat. Every time I visit, she has a new collection waiting for me.I think I understand,somewhat,as to why Mom is drawn to all of these pretty trinkets.

Mom grew up very poor.She was born in 1946 during the Great Depression years, in the state of Louisiana.For most folks in that area,any material possessions were things your dreams were made of.  I don't know a lot about the state of Louisiana, but just from the stories I have heard from Mom, the area and the time in which she spent the early years of her life, were nowhere near the best.Folks all over the United States were poor and had problems, but I feel folks in that area, during that time, had some of the worst, although you can always look around and find folks who don't have it as good as you do.The conditions in which Mom grew up, were one of the factors that contributed to making her the strong lady she grew to be.You know the saying,"If it don't kill you, it will only make your stronger." That could apply to Mom's early life.Well, really,her entire life, if the truth be told. There are some who may not agree with what I say here, but then,Thank God, they have the freedom to feel the way they do.I feel that strength is built, largely,through the survival of hard times.The education you gain, through the hardships of your past, go with you, throughout your entire life. It can make you stronger, or it can eat away at you indefinitely. We have the ability to pick and choose which of the two, we want to fill our daily lives with.You can relive the past and bring yourself and everyone around you, down, or you can learn from the past and try to make the lives of everyone around you, better.Why put our friends and family through all of the heartache and pain that we had to endure? Personally,I choose to take the upper path, and try to make this a better life,in some little way,for all that I meet, every day of my life.