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My mother was born in New Jersey in 1922, the first of the fourteen children born to Jay and Ida Whitmore. Girl, girl, girl, girl, boy, boy. Girl, girl, boy. Girl, girl, boy. Girl, girl. Child Number Four was, is, my Aunt Jeanne, who turns ninety-four years old today.
This past Thursday, I was finally getting around to making a birthday card and looking for a couple of photographs I had some time ago promised Aunt Jeanne, but I came to realize I did not know whether to mail them to her in North Carolina or in Florida, so I texted her:
Happy Birthday,
pretty soon, Aunt
Jeanne! How
are you and you
and your family?
We intend to
send a card - to
North Carolina?
Florida? We
always enjoy your
calls.
Aunt Jeanne replied an hour later. I suppose
she wrote her message all at once, but it
arrived in seven somewhat shuffled chunks:
Was going to call
you folks before
heading to Florida
to touch base
was being
treated with OTC
meds but Barb
took me to urgent
care ye
. Plan 'A' is to
leave a week
from today. Had a
lingering cold that
ial infection
and a cough
suppressant.
Feeling a little
better toda
sterday and
X-ray ruled out
pneumonia and
have RX to treat a
bacter
y so meds are
working! Along
with chicken
noodle soup and
hot tea!
Trust you are
staying well [emoji]
A couple of hours later I wrote back:
Oh, dear! Take
good care of
yourself, Aunt
Jeanne, and
we will look forward
to hearing from
you when you get
to Florida.
Not long after that, I received
a two-word assurance:
Will do!
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One of the photos I had promised was of a Western Union telegram, probably the only real-life telegram I have ever held in my hands. In 1952, my Uncle Walt, Aunt Jeanne’s husband, had sent my parents news of the birth of one of my cousins. A few years ago my dad found it among old cards and letters at the farm. Looking at the photo today, Sunday, the seventh of Novemeber, I noticed for the first time that Uncle Walt’s message consisted of paper strips of text glued to the telegram form. Several thoughts occurred to me, as several might occur to you.
PA919
P.MPA190 STORK NL PD=MORRISTOWN NJER 10=
LT AND MRS G E GROSSMANN SR =
APT 203 2639 NICHOLSON ST HYATTSVILLE MD=
HELLO FOLKS BABY BOY ARRIVED JUNE 10 1952 354AM 8 LBS 1
1/2 OZ 21 INCHES MOTHER AND SON BOTH DOING WELL FATHER AND
MOTHER BOTH HAPPY AND PROUD LOVE TO ALL=
WALTER MORTON=
It’s a beautiful thing, a miracle that I can’t take for granted, when communicated thoughts line up in an orderly way on a page, or, as they sometimes do, upon a glassy, lighted screen.
♦
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