Backstory: Sixty-fifth Mothers Day

A story on this morning’s news says that I could have kept the Stimulus check issued last week to my brother. I wrote in last week’s News Tribune column that the check was a big surprise because he died a year ago.

Apparently, according to Nina Olson, executive director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, the law was written so quickly that nothing was done to insure funds wouldn’t be issued to the dead and certainly nothing was written in to assure that the checks had to be returned. While I was considering the ramifications of all of this and wondering where to hide the check, his personal representative, a very ethical person, sent it back. You can’t depend on anyone these days.

My stimulus check has never come. This puzzling financial matter is only one of the reasons this was a very unusual Mother’s Day. Among my Mother’s Day gifts this year was a DVD copy of StarWars -The Rise of Skywalker. Naturally, this is the gift most coveted by Great Grandmothers the world over. I haven’t watched it yet. But I will. Number Four Son said that since I took him to the first Star Wars movie, it was appropriate he treat me to this one. That leaves a lot of years unaccounted for, but one mustn’t be small.

Mothers Day has changed a lot over the years. My first two years as a Mom were spent at Castle Air Force Base, California – in the San Joaquin Valley. The Base is long closed now. Our daughter was born first, but there were only three months to get used to motherhood when we found another baby was on the way. There’s a story there, but you won’t hear it from me.

Most everyone asks how this quarantine time compares with other crises of my lifetime, like World War II or the time I put my mother’s angora sweater in the washing machine. Well the fact is, it doesn’t compare at all. In World War II, we were all united, as far as our town and neighborhood went. We carefully folded up gum wrappers – which were made of tin foil into tiny squares for the War Effort, tied newspaper piles neatly with twine, stomped on cans to make them flat and then waited to see if we really had made a difference. We’re in much the same position now.

Late on Mother’s Day a young couple came to the door with a small, lovely bouquet of roses. They had heard about the Cheery Humor Drive By event my daughter arranged for me and knew that I was having trouble being alone. I am perfectly self sufficient. It’s just that I miss touches and smiles. Michael and Luci told me they are neighbors. They wanted me to know that I could call on them, if I needed anything. I know so many more of my neighbors in this small condo community than I did when this started and we’re definitely looking out for each other.

I used to love worrying my children.

– Dorothy wilhelm

Kids grow up you know. The good news is that three of my six live in Washington. The bad news is that each is at least a 90 minute drive away, so coming to visit isn’t something that can be done easily but they come when they can. They bring me groceries and flowers, and little specially baked treats from my son’s wives, who are better cooks than I ever thought of being. They wear masks and gloves and practice strict Social Distancing. I’ve come to realize that the best thing I can do is stay home and stay safe and take that worry away from them. This is not like me at all. I used to love worrying my children.

We have to keep looking out for each other. And listen, I’ve got this great idea. When this is over, we’ll get together and maybe watch a movie. It happens that I have a copy of Star Wars – The Rise of Skywalker, still in the original package. It was a good Mother’s Day – great to hear from the children – but I need a hug.

I wonder if Darth Vader got a stimulus check.

Find the “front story” to this column in The News Tribune: https://www.thenewstribune.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/article242574756.html