Mom Day!

I'm the baby, around a year old, in my mom Edna's lap. To the left is her mother, Esther, on the right is Esther's mother, Kari. I remember this couch! It was a gorgeous deep red color and had prickly upholstery. I have no memory of my great-grandmother but she has my undying respect. In 1908, she was pregnant with Esther when they emigrated from Norway. I'm not sure how long it took on that boat to cross the Atlantic, but I do know that there were two older children in tow. I can't imagine how stressful that must have been. After they landed on American shores they trekked west across the frozen plains in late November to their destination in western North Dakota. Stopping for a few days in Willmar, Minnesota where my grandmother was born. I'm the last daughter in this line of sturdy women. Sometimes I feel as though I failed to fulfill my destiny when I didn't give birth to a baby girl when I was 25, as these three women did. Happy Mother's Day to all of the women who love and nurture us. Whether or not they have given birth.