Lights of Love

As I continue my scanning project, I am awash with memories of times that passed so quickly.

It was winter and we were moving into our little suburban community in Illinois when we'd heard some rumblings that it at one time contained covenants that prohibited sale of homes to minorities.  Needless to say I was worried. 

However, once spring brightened the skies and sprouted leaves on the naked trees, neighbors came out to welcome us.  The neighbors across the street were The Colonel (who'd fought in WWII) and Mrs. M.   The Colonel was every bit what you'd imagined an army Colonel to be.  He was quite active in the politics and running of the community.  Mrs. M was active in the church.  And they ended up pretty much adopting us.  I think the Colonel liked the fact that Art was once an Air Force officer... even though it wasn't the army.

Tiffany, Art's Mom and Jonathan

When Art's mom came to visit during several summers, The Colonel and Mrs. M. treated her with kindness and warmth.

I think they were amazed at how Art's mom stayed so cheerful and loving with everybody despite the fact that she was crippled with rheumatoid arthritis and had survived breast cancer.  She'd even had one leg amputated, but her strength and spirit were unflagging.

new village lamp post

Since Mom couldn't go outside very much, she spent quite a bit of time watching the city work crews install street lights right alongside our driveway.  Mom thought it was great to have the street lights although some neighbors were against putting them in thinking it would take away from the small town look of our village.

The grand lighting of all the street lights in town was going to happen at the end of summer about a week after Mom's return to California where she lived with Art's sister.

The night before she was to leave, The Colonel stopped by and said to be sure Mom was outside that evening.

We went outside and waited to see what was going to happen.  Imagine our surprise when the street lights in just our little village came on!  The Colonel came over to tell us that he'd arranged it with his friend, a city councilman so that Mom could see the village lit up.  Neighbors poured out into the street confused by the premature street lighting.  It was beautiful.

It still makes me tear up to remember it.

POSTSCRIPT:  From the comments I'm seeing I realize that people are thinking Art's mom is still with us.  Mom passed away in the summer of 1986.  My children still remember the sadness of that loss, but cherish the memory of her spirit.

We lost the Colonel and Mrs. M soon after.