Resurrection anticipations bio

[kejedo]

I keep thinking about promised resurrections and lately have been anticipating endearing reactions.  I hope to see my maternal grandmother, again. Some may have guessed that I survived extreme levels of abuse and neglect, but the influence of my mother's mother was positive. Angelina (Lena) Velardo Clark  was born  to Sicilian immigrants in Boston USA, around the turn of the previous century. Starting school at age six, she barely knew a word of  English but was a serious and dedicated student. My birth produced the sixth of Lena's 14 grandchildren and at that time, my family lived downstairs from grandma aka MA.  I  got to spend lots of time upstairs with "MA." She took in  boarders and was generally busy, but  listened to her favorite oldies radio station, which was featuring WW2 hits. Although I never heard  her personally singing to the music,  she seemed pleased that I learned the songs quickly. I helped her make beds and was not self conscious to be joining the radio. One morning she prepared me for my  first performance, "  When your mother comes upstairs  sing that over the rainbow song for her;" said, done.  I don't recall my mother being  impressed, pleased, or  amused, it was just like when Ma took a crayon from my left hand and re-positioned it in my right hand, you just did things you were told.  My mother  and  her sisters used vulgar and angry vocalizations, but Ma used her language  carefully and I absorbed vocabulary, syntax, and grammar.  It  was also Ma who accepted that first 'Castle on the Cover' magazine that I read to my baby  brother when I was about 5.  Certainly, I can hardly wait to welcome back my first born son Keith,  who passed  away one year ago and my late husband who passed 4 years ago. But even beyond  that, I remember MA.