The Mom blog – Luella Veronica (Hurley) Flaherty – Final throughts
Mom left a few memories, random thoughts and notes to Dad in a small note book I found with her things. Transposed here.
A Great story because Mom’s shorthand ” I love you” was is part of our family history
When Dad and I were going together he used to go swimming every week on 18th and Mission. he had bought a suede jacket and always wore it if the weather was cold. When he first got it I was going to business college and one day I wrote (in shorthand) “I love you” I the lining of the jacket. To make a long story short, someone stole the jacket and dad was fit to be tied. One day he was going swimming and saw a guy with his jacket. The guy denied it was Dad’s but dad ripped it off the guy and showed the guy what I had written in the lining. Needless to say, he got the jacket back and we used to laugh about it whenever we thought of if.
Remembering when Anne Marie was born. Beautiful! My Dad’s mom was blind so when mom talks about feeling her from head to toe…. Its too much. I’m tearing up here!
Remember when we brought her home from the hospital dad?
We couldn’t go into the hospital ourselves because the nurse thought it best that her mother not see us. We were so nervous – the 1/2 hour wait in our old Chevy coupe seemed like hours. We had brought all the baby clothes she would wear home. She was dressed in pink and white.
She was blond and beautiful. Do you remember we drove about 3 blocks from the hospital and parked the car and cried like two fools. We were blessed that’s for sure. Our first detour was to Ma Flaherty’s house so she could see her 8 day old grand daughter. Ma felt her from the tips of her toes to the top of her very beautiful blond head.
Then just some random thoughts
Walked to Marchbanks park in hopes of seeing a baseball game trying to re-live our “little league” days
and memories
Remember Mike – the day you got in a fist fight with a “street fighter” and you wouldn’t take his pushing you? I wasn’t there but dad said he beat the hell out of you. Dad wanted to stop the fight but didn’t think you wanted him to interfere. He said you cried after the fight- not because you lost but because – “Dad, its the first time you saw me fight and he beat me up!” There was so much love and hurt in you.
Retirement is not- “thank goodness the kids are raised and no more responsibilities – we can live it up”
Retirement is thinking back over all the wonderful fond and loving memories of our four and later including our two grandchildren
Retirement taking a walk and spotting something and saying, “remember when……………”
Walking past the pipeling along Lake Merced = “Remember when Anne Marie and Mike walked on that big pipe? You would have had a fit if you had been here- but even at that age – 3 or 4 – what balance and fun they had!”
Johnny was the best left handed first basemen that OLPH ever had.
“Dad can you leave work and come see Anne Marie on ice skates?! I can’t believe she is going around the rink like an old pro! Can you get here? Good!”
Jimmy shouldn’t be on a skateboard, especially down a hill! He was lucky to get off with a black eye and bruises – poor Rita, she had to tell me how it happened”
Walking around Stow Lake with Alanna and Erika skating in front of us – both of us ready to kiss away any hurt that might result. “remember when Anne Marie climbed to the top of the falls?” Remember when Mike was showing off in front because some girls in his class were coming? He slipped on a rock and fell into the lake! what a wet and embarrassing walk back to the car – Poor Mike!”
How blessed we were – Anne Marie, then 3 months later I was pregnant with Mike, then John, then Jim- We enjoyed them so much. We had problems but our love for each other and for them overshadowed everything else – maybe we were too possessive, but on our side it was L O V E.
We had so many beautiful memories to share with each other.
Remember mass at OLPH when I told Johnny to be quiet. Evidently I was too harsh with him because he cried and very loud he said to me ” YOU HURT MY FEELINGS!” Did I feel like a mean mother!
If I could leave my children the most important legacy, it would be that they have the same memories of their children as we have had with our four.
They are all grown up and are on their way to becoming parents but they left us many many beautiful and wonderful memories which are stowed away in our hearts. Dad, you have taken these with you, but I have been given this time on earth to to think about you, our lives and loves for each other, and our four children – we were blessed and that I realize day by day.
So remember
When they were small enough to ALL crawl into bed with us on the weekends
All the games we went to, our kids being the best
Taking them around to say good night to ALL the pictures in the house (especially Anne Marie so she wouldn’t have to go to be early- she was smarter to us, even then)
Taking them to the Cliff House and play land at the beach to ride on the merry go round and roller coaster and Mike putting his arms around her because she was scared
You teaching them all to swim from the time they were in diapers!
This morning I work up thinking about the time Jim came down the hill on the skateboard and ran into a parked car – Rita had to tell me the news (I was working for Paul Huff) what a scare and yet it was a blessing was not as serious as we thought! But God again was with us.
Mom’s last entry was to Dad…..
The last ten years for me have been a nightmare, because I never thought I would lose you. I feel for the children because I put hem through 10 years of trying to make me feel as I did when we were together. I hope if they read this they will forgive me.
We do. Love you Mom
