Monday, May 11, 2015

Those Ruud Girls


It's the day after Mother's Day so naturally I ran across this adorable photo of my mom, Edna, and her sister, Mamie, today. Taken, and I'm guessing here, around 1935. I'm also guessing that Grandma Esther sewed their matching dresses. It makes me so happy to see them at this age, clearly best friends as they were into their twenties. For most of the middle years of their lives they did not speak, due to some falling out that we can only speculate over now. They did reconcile in their later years, and I can only imagine the sadness and emptiness they must have felt during that long period of estrangement. Based on photos of me taken at a similar age, I am struck by how much I resemble my mother. My cousin Sara bears a striking resemblance to her mother as well. As the fifth anniversary of Mom's death nears, it's much easier to recall the happy times with her than the sorrow over her passing. In the midst of the Great Depression on the dusty plains of western North Dakota, this photo captures the resilience and joy of childhood. All that much better when your sister is your best friend.

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