I remember listening to my mom excitedly giggle while reciting the This Little Piggy ditty and pinching each of my baby brothers’ toes during their diaper changing.

Her routine brought giggles with each pinch, and that delighted my Ma.

She never seemed to tire of this routine, and she did it with each of her six children.

When I think of it, I remember my dad lovingly reciting the same rhyme he learned from his mom.

I have not been around babies for many years, so I don’t know if the “This Little Piggy” ditty is still used by young couples raising children today.

Maybe I will ask Spanky, who had three children before he knew the cause. His wife, Tamara, had to explain the birds and bees to him.

As a gesture to today’s generation of young mothers, I will offer the words of the rhyme in case they have never heard it before.

It goes like this (as I remember):

“This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none, and this little piggy (squeezing the pinkie toe) cried wee wee wee all the way home!!”  ~ Author unknown

So, I was thinking a lot about moms this week.

Especially Beulah and Georgie, who were both born in May and both died in September.

Beulah Mae St. Andrews (May 1923 – September 26, 2010)

Beulah is my dear Ma, and she passed away alone in the hospital after I phoned her to tell her I was coming to Ontario to see her.

Six hours later, my sister called to say that Ma had died. She also said that Mom died alone.

However, to this day, I do not know how long after I spoke to Ma that she died – it may have been seconds or minutes.

I had not seen her for more than a year because I had throat cancer, with only a 40% chance of surviving.

I never told my family I had cancer.

Ma was in feeble health at the time, and the news of my cancer would have been too much for her failing heart to bear.

Ma passed on September 26, 2010.

At the time, I believed she waited to hear from me before she passed – she wanted to tell me she loved me one last time.

And “I Love You” were the last words we spoke to each other.

I was not Ma’s favorite child—she had no favorites—but she made us feel like we were her favorites.

A few years later, I wrote a letter to her in my Dear Ma When You Thought I Wasn’t Looking story.

I think about my Ma every day.

********

Georgie Evelyn Mildred Killingbeck (May 1930 – September 9, 2022)

Mrs. Killingbeck is the mom of Alice Hrehoruk, whom I mentioned in my recent Why I Have Never Experienced A Loss of Words story.

As mentioned, both of our moms were born in May, and both passed away in September, but that is not the only thing that Alice and I have in common.

Alice’s mother had been very close to death for several weeks, and Alice hoped it would not be on her 70th birthday, which is September 12th.

Annette’s birthday is September 13th; she turned 70 the day after Alice’s 70th birthday.

Our moms showed us how much they loved us at the time of their respective passing.

• Beulah was in the hospital in Toronto, recovering from her second stroke, and her weak heart was failing. She waited to hear from me before she passed six hours later.
• Georgie did not want to miss Alice’s 70th birthday or Peter and Alice’s 50th wedding anniversary four days after Alice’s birthday.
• Sadly, her funeral was the day before Alice and Peter’s wedding anniversary.

And that, dear readers, is a beautiful love story each of us has in our lives.

Our moms’ eyes were the first thing that Alice and I saw when we were born.

Your mom’s eyes are the first thing you saw when you were born, too!

Nobody loves you as unconditionally as your mother!

********

My eyes are filling with tears as I think about our moms, and my only regret is that I was not well enough to travel to be with Alice and Peter this past week, as initially planned.

They had planned an anniversary dinner, and I desperately wanted to attend.

Although I could not attend Alice’s mom’s funeral or wedding anniversary, I included this photo of Peter and Alice’s wedding (September 16, 1972).

Alice and Peter’s wedding is when I first met Annette.

A few years later, when I visited Alice and Peter, she arranged a blind date with Annette, and we were married in 1978.

Here’s our wedding picture with Alice and Peter:

It was a private ceremony, and the reception was held at my older sister Linda’s home in Ajax, Ontario.

Update: September 26, 2024

Alice emailed me to let me know that our moms also had six children. I copied her email and included it in a comment below.

I also wanted to add that Holly Golightly, my 17 year-old-dog, also passed away on September 6, 2023, so that’s another reason why this month is so sad for me.

In closing,

If your mom is still alive, it is not too late to show her how much you love her. Why not call her now and tell her how much you love her? Better still, visit her and give her a loving hug.

Because if you don’t, you probably have a hole in your soul.

And Alice and I will feel sorry for you.

Dedicated to Beulah and Georgie

I hope my stories are a gift to your head and heart.

Hugs,

Danny

Today’s tune from Danny’s library (purchased):

Here’s a wishing well
Here’s a penny for
Any thought it is
That makes you smile

Every diamond dream
Everything that brings
Love and happiness
To your life

Here’s a rabbit’s foot
Take it when you go
So you’ll always know
You’re safe from harm

Wear your ruby shoes
When you’re far away
So, you’ll always stay
Home in your heart

You will always have a lucky star
That shines because of what you are
Even in the deepest dark
Because your aim is true
And if I could only have one wish
Darling, then it would be this
Love and happiness for you

[Instrumental]

Here’s a spinning wheel
Use it once you’ve learned
There’s a way to turn
The straw into gold

Here’s a rosary
Count on every bead
With a prayer to keep
The hope you hold

You will always have a lucky star
That shines because of what you are
Even in the deepest dark
Because your aim is true
And if I could only have one wish
Darling, then it would be this
Love and happiness for you

And if I could only have one wish
Darling, then it would be this
Love and happiness for you

Songwriter(s): Gracey Kimmie Rhodes, Harris Emmylou

Here’s what songs Danny is listening to now: My Bathroom Studio Is Full of Awesome Memories