MOTHER

Today is my mother's birthday and she would have been 99 years old.

She hated to have her picture taken! It must be a genetic trait which Norman, Duke, Les and I inherited. The other brothers didn't mind having their pictures taken and one of them loves to have his taken, because we see it in the newspaper quite often!

My mother was very pretty. I write this, not because my brothers and I think it, but because nearly everyone we came in contact with would mention the fact.

When I was a teenager, my parents came to pick me up and later a classmate asked, "Who was that girl in the car?" I said that it was my mother and the girl answered, "She's pretty--what happened to you?"

Did I mention I still suffer with self-esteem issues?