Chat with Mudder

With homage to the Bowery Boys, I call my mother "Mudder". She is one of the great lights of my life. She will celebrate her 81st birthday on October 16 and shows no signs of slowing down. Mudder is a model for those of us who watch her. She is a life-long learner, is physically active, spiritually alive and is a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend.In our last weekly chat, Mudder told me that she'd struck gold. She was sorting through papers which belonged to her mother (1900-1998) and came across notes which my grandmother took in a class in 1924. My mother knew that I, amateur family historian, would want to see that 87 year old sample of my grandmother's writing. I have no plans to ever stop Mudder when she is telling a story. When she speaks, she is handing off history to us. We would be foolish to stop the flow of historical data.
I am sooooooo glad Mudder is still with us. If you have an elder speaking to you and finding scraps of paper as they clean house, embrace both the elder...and the scraps of paper.