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From:
Daniel Dvorak
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Sunday, March 22, 2020
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Reflections of Nona by Rita: 3/22/2020
Memories weave through our brain, our heart, our soul like a delicate silken web with many a broken filament that mends with a mental trigger to the past. A sound, a smell, a taste, a vision can elevate our recollections from the depths of our subconscious. And so it is with memories of our mother, Nona. These fragments are a gateway to many recollections: dewy black raspberries on a warm summer morning, croquet in the yard, Dietz Lake and the giant bowl of Mom’s delicious potato salad, strawberry picking with the whole family and a filled wooden crate, hot loaves of Mom’s whole wheat bread, learning to sew with Mom on her Necchi machine, camping trips together, the waft of Evening in Paris, toiling in the garden, the smell of sun-dried cotton as we helped Mom remove and fold laundry from the clothesline, Mom waking me to the song “I’m a lonely little petunia in an onion patch”, watching family vacation slide shows in the dark living room, and so much more.
Even with a large family and never-ending chores, we learned from Mom and Dad the importance of helping others when they needed it, trading skills, and sharing. I am very blessed that for the last three and a half years of Nona’s life she lived only a few miles away from me. I saw her every day except when I was out of town. I loved those daily visits, getting to know other residents in her assisted living home, going for Colorado sunshine walks, little excursions, and ceramics painting together. When Mom could no longer assist others herself, she utilized me in that role when she discovered someone needed mending done, or someone could use a bib like hers. Mom was always appreciative and thankful for visitors, kindnesses, and anything you did for her. One caregiver told me “because she is so kind and thankful, she makes me want to be a better caregiver”. When giving advice for a problem Mom often quoted the proverb of ‘catching more flies with honey’, and that was how she lived her life—finding the kindness, valuing, and acknowledging with regard. Her demeanor was truly a legacy to emulate.
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From:
Daniel Dvorak
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Sunday, March 22, 2020
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Only with age and experience have I better appreciated the challenges Mom faced raising us six children. When David & I were both very young (and < 11 months apart in age), there were nine of us (including Aunt Agnes) living together in a petite home, with only a single bathroom to share. This was also before the addition of the “new” kitchen and the extra sink at the end of the galley. Imagine for a moment these snapshots of Mom’s everyday life: inching your way down grocery store aisles pushing 2 full size carts and a double stroller, growing a large garden & preserving the surplus harvest, cooking 3 meals a day & packing lunches, driving to & from Sacred Heart Catholic school, sewing & mending, doing laundry (including Dad’s railroad overalls and caps covered in grime plus mounds of cloth diapers, using safety pins), with endless picking up and dishwashing (by hand). On top of that, for a few years Mom worked the night shift as a nurse aide for extra income as well. Imagine doing all of this for so many people every single day for years on end! Both our parents worked extremely hard to provide for our family. While we may not have had as many things as other families, we had what was truly needed and were given what was far more important in life: determination and resourcefulness.
When thinking back on another important thing I learned from Mom, I’d say it was her interest and acceptance of people from other backgrounds, cultures and religions, long before such outlooks became more mainstream. I will always be grateful to her for this lesson, through her thoughtful example. Both Mom & Dad were people of great faith, and I am thankful to each of them for the gift of their lives, their sacrifices for us, and their legacy to us all.
~Cheri
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