In the year 1913, on Tuesday, July 15, Virginia Reynolds was born.
Nana, 95
It was an auspicious year to be born. Stainless steel was invented. Rosa Parks was born. And Harriet Tubman died. It was the year that the first Women’s Suffrage march occurred, and the modern zipper was invented.
In 1913, the first crossword puzzle was published. Virginia Reynolds was born in the same year as Lloyd Bridges, Danny Kaye, Red Skelton, Vivien Leigh, and Vince Lombardi, as well as Richard M. Nixon,, Menachem Begin, Jimmy Hoffa, and Albert Camus.
Virginia Reynolds married Perley Marston in 1933, and went on to do something rather amazing: In 1943, at the grand old age of 30, she gave birth to fraternal twins, born prematurely, who were not expected to live, being only a few pounds each. Her doctor told her that there was nothing that modern medicine could do for them, and that she should take them home and make them comfortable for the little time they had.
Through sheer force of will, the babies, named Bruce and Bethany, lived. Some might not consider such a thing to be amazing, but I do. Bethany is my mother. Virginia is my grandmother.
Last week, Virginia, aka Nana, turned 95.
I felt honored to be there, to sing Happy Birthday to her again, along with her daughter, 3 of her grandchildren, and 4 of her great grandchildren.
Happy Birthday, Nana!