My Family At The Start

Yes, it was a long time ago.  My best guess would be 1957.  Our family was gathered for the earliest picture I have of the four of us together.

My Dad would be about 35.  He was already starting to gray at the temples.  I also would start to turn gray early.  He has maintained his full head of hair, even at 90 (he will turn 91 this June 29).

His sleeves were rolled up.  Most of the time I saw him growing up, he was dressed up much more.  He was a hard working teacher, a high school math teacher at Charlotte High School.  He was very smart, but his particular gift was in teaching students who had been low achievers, those who weren't very interested in school.  Somehow he reached those students, and got them learning and performing beyond any one's expectations.

He grew up on a large farm, where he had major responsibilities. He loved yard work, so perhaps he had come in from doing that just before the picture was taken.

My mother seems happy that we are together.  She is holding my baby sister, Carol,.  We are about fifteen months apart.  That seems pretty close together, considering they were three years into the marriage before I was born. But I guess once they figured out how it worked....

My mother is wearing some big honking glasses.  I pretty much always remember her in glasses.  She had to start wearing glasses as young as 3.  She had crossed eyes that had only partially been corrected.  But with the glasses she could see well.  She was a lifelong avid reader, a passion that I have inherited. She died October 19, 2008.  I miss her terribly.

My little sister Carol is not looking at the camera,  Her face is turned towards her Daddy.  Is not that the way with daughters?  Since my mother died, my father's health has slowly declined.  He can do less and less for himself.  This little girl who so adores him, has become his primary care supervisor.  She lives within a few miles while I am a thousand miles away.  The care and devotion and love my parents gave to her is being returned to him, as she strives to make his life as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

And finally, there is me.  I am the only one staring directly into the camera.  Is this thing on?  Should I put on a show?  Yes, I was contemplating the acting bug from very early on.

It was a long time ago.

It was just yesterday.

Thank God for photographs.