Three B's by GJ

Can’t help thinking about Cousin Betty lately. When thinking about her, I think about our two daughters and the “boomers.” When I think about the boomers, I sometimes conjur up a third generation. Let’s call these women Betty, Barbara, and Bess. Cousin Betty was born in 1908, never married, became a librarian, and died in 1988. In 1963, Betty went to her local banker in a small town west of Chicago and asked him to find her a small bungalow that she could afford to pay off in ten years. (She would retire in 1973 on social security.) The banker found the bungalow; a very pretty, small, two-bedroom cottage on a lovely street close to the library. Betty then sent out invitations to all her aunts, uncles, and cousins to come to her house for Thanksgiving. By 1987, those dinners had become a tradition for 24 years. Barbara was about 12 when the custom began and there were about eight children in attendance around then. The children often joined some of the adults in playing scrabble, and there was a period when a few adults and most children went bowling. Otherwise, the women chatted and the men napped or watched football. Bess was born in 1975 and her family was unable to maintain their attendance. At its peak, total attendance was probably 16 to 20 people. At the end, it was 8 to 10, and very few children. (As often happens, young families begin to have their own celebrations.) Cousin Betty was a rare and wonderful woman. She was told by a doctor when she was 18 that she probably had six months to live! (She had a chronic lung problem.) Because of this, she switched from pursuing a teaching career to studying library science. Although Bess had met Betty on occasion, she never really knew her very well. Barbara, her mother, knew Betty quite well, especially for the kind, caring, generous person that she was. Bess could know Betty a tad better if Barbara were to write a few memoirs about those early Thanksgiving dinners. Bess could know even more about Betty if we all had written some memoirs. (My next posting is about my role as practical joker at those dinners.) It will be for Bess. (And, for Cousin Betty.)