We managed, us three, to forge ahead. Soon we got back to a new normal. Back to work, school, church, friends and even some social engagements. I continued with school and graduated. Steve continued school and tried to drop out to go to work. Mom put a quick end to that! She was small-but very persuasive!
Meanwhile mom was introduced to a friend of our cousin. He was a recent widow with 3 kids. They went out on a date and really hit it off. Soon a romance was blooming! I was not sure how I felt about this. Oh, I liked him well enough, but the thought of 3 more kids in our small house was uncomfortable.
Steve was happy to have a younger brother so he would no longer be the baby. I was not happy to lose my coveted position as oldest as I would now have an older stepsister. But they continued to date and soon a wedding was being planned!
I knew we were in trouble when the happy couple was away on their honeymoon and my 2 stepsisters had a party in the house with boys and booze! This was not ever a part of my upbringing, and I resented it being forced on me. Boys in my bedroom was never allowed, and now they were even in my bed!
But my stepfather was a good man and provided well for us all, so we were thankful to be provided with everything we needed. Mom seemed to be very happy in the new marriage!
They were not married long before my older stepsister came home pregnant, and another wedding was planned! A cute baby boy was added to our family! She got married while pregnant and moved out. Of course, a pregnancy before marriage was something my mom would not tolerate with me, but she had to accept it from her new husband, though it made her very unhappy. I personally was happy because there was one less person to jockey for bathroom time-we only had one bathroom with 7 people (and 4 were girls)!
Soon I met and began to date the wonderful man I married! We enjoyed the dating process and the planning of our wedding with all the running around included in that process. one year later I was leaving my childhood home-and my mom! She was very comfortable with it. I was marrying a great guy, and she would have only 3 kids home now!
Before long 2 more left the nest and it was only 1 boy left with my parents. But it seemed that these two girls never really left. Before long, they each divorced and returned home for a while establishing their new lives as singles, and a mom.
My mom was always available for them all. I reminded her one time of a comment she made to me about leaving the home; “you made your bed, now lie in it”. That said to me-you leave to get married and you make it work-you will not be welcome to return. I’m going to say that out of the 5 of us I am the only one who took her seriously! I made it work, with my husband, of course, and our value system that was based on the Biblical teaching that you marry until ‘death do us part’. We are happy to be able to say we love each other and worked at the tough spots!
I really don’t know how my mom managed her home and family while working full time too. I would see mom and stepdad weekly, and we had a pretty good relationship, though she was often guarded about the problems with the rest of the kids-and there was always a problem. My older stepsister did eventually meet and marry a man that she was able to build a good faith-based life with. She did pass away about 5 years ago from a cardiac issue. Her husband of 32 years just recently passed away.
I’m afraid that more details are lost from my memory, and I have not met with anyone who has more memories, yet! So, this segment must end and when more information is found, I will write another segment of mom’s miraculous life!
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