Continuing with my never-ending touches of “Valentine” (see previous post: here), I found a batch of Valentine cards my Ma received in (maybe) grade school. Taking a random guess, I would believe these would be pre-eighth grade (1960), so dating them late 1950s at best.
It was fun looking back on a more innocent time, when kids exchanged actual valentines cards, no matter the gender of their friends. They exchanged with all of their friends. It was a time proven tradition in my house to sit down on the night before Valentines Day and write out a card for each and every kid in my class and one special one for my teacher.
I am also impressed with my Ma’s hoarding abilities. These Valentines (if from the late 50s) are at least sixty(ish) years old. They are all still full of color and have given me quite a few chuckles looking through them.
Words, phrases, catchphrases – they all change over the decades. Something innocent then might be pervy now. There was one I spit out coffee over. Actually, there were a couple that gave me pause (and a hearty laugh). I will let you guess which ones those might be.
And for those of you who pursue genealogy as a hobby, Ma’s formal name was Rebecca (Beckie) Taraczkozy. I point that out to show you this:
The originality of her surname has been both a curse and a blessing while researching our family line.
It was a joy to find these in a box of miscellaneous papers. I have found tons of treasures over the past year since Daddy’s death. There are a few more boxes to go through and some envelopes of cards and letters to give a closer examination. I plan on blogging about pieces of them just to archive for my own memory-purposes and to pass down specifics to the next generation. Trying to understand the who’s and what’s of the memories left behind has been difficult. Like piecing together a puzzle without being able to see the picture on the outside of the box. I do not want my kids to sort through my “memories” and not know (with a little more certainty) what things are or who people in photos might be.
But, this was a rare gift from Ma. I know there are only so many more surprises I can find before they are all wrapped up.
Sunflower misses you Ma. Now and Forever.
Thoughts and Ponderances 