A Picture Of Mom, In 2016

Nope. Mom never goes anywhere without a housecoat. She still has one hanging here in our front closet, as is probably the case at BT/Mercedes’ and Ron’s homes, too. Her nightgown and housecoat will be here—hanging right where they’ve hung for the last decade—for Mom in case she’s ever able to visit for a sleepover again. She is always welcome here, even though Millard Care and Rehab is the place she needs to be.

In Mom’s nearly 91 years, she has been a part of a slew of amazing stories, which she has never tired of telling us kids about. I’ve been thinking I should share some of the more obscure knee-slappers with you. I was going to start with the tale of what happened one night with Mom, her sister, Rosalie, and Rosalie’s husband, Boyd. But, upon further thought, I’m probably not allowed to tell that one, no matter how amusing it was. So then I decided to tell you the one about the camper Dad built and about the many members of the Delta 2nd Ward who borrowed it. But I’m forbidden from telling you that story, too. So then I decided to tell you the story of how Mom bought a dark, long-haired wig in Provo, just to freak out Dad. But, again, I can’t tell that tale to y’all either, now that I think of it. Nor can I tell you the story of Mom and Dad and the bee yard with an electric fence. That story is not for those readers who are faint of heart or could expire due to excessive laughter—because TIE O’ THE DAY doesn’t carry life insurance for its readers.

I will try to think of some of Mom’s tamer true tales.

Mom, With Her Blue Eyes

Last September, when Mom turned 90, Millard Care and Rehab was on pandemic lockdown, so we celebrated from outside her window. It was not the grand party she deserved, but I think she got the idea that we adore her and are grateful to call her ours. She also got a bazillion birthday cards from family, friends, and a few TIE O’ THE DAY readers she has never met. I thank y’all for that. Well, it’s that time o’ year again—and it’s that pandemic again. The latest news I’ve heard is that the care center is off-limits to visitors, as of a few days ago, because a resident has tested positive for COVID-19. I’m hoping that somehow we’ll be able to see and hug Mom—not just through a window—for her 91st birthday, on September 26. But just in case we’re not allowed in, I’m putting her birthday card and present in the mail. Likewise, if you’d like to send Mom a birthday greeting this week, you know she’d love it. Here’s her address: Helen A. Wright, Millard Care and Rehab, Room #104, Delta, UT 84624