Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A Mema Moment

Neither rain nor snow nor life nor death, especially death, shall keep the Bridge Club from its appointed game.  I learned this from my mother last week.

I had called her just to talk, and she was telling me about a friend who had died earlier in the week.  Mother and her lady friends are at that age where most of them have already outlived their spouses, and now they are losing their friends.  The ones who are still around play Bridge at least once a week.

Dorothy Jean, who had been in the nursing home with Alzheimer's for a number of years, died last week.  Her visitation was on Monday night, but her funeral on Tuesday was scheduled right in the middle of Bridge Club.

No problem.  The Bridge Club convened, ate lunch, and played one round of Bridge.  They adjourned for the funeral and then promptly reconvened to finish the Bridge game.

Bridge group Mother and Daddy’s Couples Bridge Club some time in the ’60’s.  Mother and Daddy are on the right.

For more Mema Moments see THIS POST from my sister Margie’s blog.

17 comments:

Debby@Just Breathe said...

My Dad is going through that now, he outlived my Mom and now most of his friends are gone too.

the osbornes said...

That is hilarious that they still played. And I love that picture, it is just how I love to remember Papa--happy and playful.

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

Oh your parents look so cute! Like they were a lot of fun and really were enjoying being together with their friends.

Keetha Broyles said...

Oh but Bridge is MORE than a game to them - - - it is fellowship. I TOTALLY "get" this.

I'd be the same way if I belonged to a Euchre club.

Robin said...

Awwww, such a great story! The game MUST go on!!

{{{{HUGS}}}

Robin :o)

momma said...

i love that they took a break for the funeral!

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Our family name that lived in both Arkansas and Kansas, was Turner. Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I am enjoying my visit and I want to just look around a bit more..so if you hear a some rattling..shufflings, it's just me. Not to worry. :)
Take care and see you soon.
Mona
P.S. Your blog is lovely. the colors and design are so pretty.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

I find that so enduring. I really do. I Love that!

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

Oh Kathy, my mother and her bridge club were that way too! They finally ended up combining two clubs, because both clubs had lost so many members, but going to the beauty shop and playing bridge were the two events of the week that could NOT be missed. The memory of that, through your post, made me smile. laurie

Linda said...

What a cute post! I can relate as my mother-in-law played Bridge each week with the same group of ladies...for over 40 years! I always thought they were so lucky to have found each other and to have formed such a strong bond. You just don't see that anymore these days.

Your parents were darling!

Soosie said...

Kathy..Could not help but think of that Southern book, "Was the Funeral Fun?" or something like that..I will bring it to the Beach if i can find it. I love a creative solution to a problem at hand..the only touch that I would have added would be bridge tallies for favors at the funeral.
Thanks for a big smile today! Susie

Domestic Designer said...

That is really a precious story! I guess it was a comfort to them to still be with friends. Love the picture! Have a great day!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Kathy, your post made me smile.

I wrote such a long comment I decided it was a blog post of its own. http://malvie.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

What a great picture and story. It was a way for them to pay their respects and continue the tradition, no doubt talking and reminiscing about Dorothy Jean and the bridge games that she had been a part of. I can't think of a better way to remember someone.

Baumbastic said...

My Mother played Bridge for years. Once she asked one of the ladies of the bridge club what she was going to wear to the wedding. The other ladies of the club were stumped, wondering who was getting married and why they were not invited.

After the answer was that she thought just a house dress or maybe even a robe, it dawned on everyone that the wedding was on a soap opera.

Unknown said...

I just had to laugh.