What I wish I Could Ask My Mother

By Tracy Kay

The year was 1955. On a beautiful day in June, my parents were married. Looking at this picture of my mom , made me think of things I wish I would have asked her. In the picture, mom is getting dressed for her wedding with help from her maid of honor and lifelong friend, Sadie. While the picture itself tells us a lot of things, it only scratches the surface of that special day. I have looked at this photo many times over the years and, and first, I thought—what a lot of fuss and stress this must have been. But, knowing my mother as I did, this suited her perfectly, being the fluffy fashionista that she was. But now I wish I would have asked my mother things that would have made this picture come alive. Like, how were you feeling at that moment? Were you nervous, excited? Who did your hair and makeup? Where did you get the dress? Trust me, this last question would have resulted in a long, detailed answer! You see, I wanted to attach the history behind this moment of time. I would have told her how beautiful she looked and would have wanted to know if she was full of hope about the future, as her smile in the photo would suggest. It occurs to me that these details would have made me a part of her special day, even though I wasn’t yet born. Sadly, mom is no longer here for me to ask, however, I am inspired to learn the history behind the photos of people dear to me. You never know what gems you will find hidden in those images.