My mother always kept a daily journal since she was a teenager – and this was one of those journals. She took note of many happenings, and the day did not end without her journal being up to date. Being a farm wife and having seven children meant hard work and busy days with lots of activities to record.

My mother passed away in February at the age of 87 on Dad's 90th birthday. While I was gathering her things for the funeral home, I found a small black journal on a cabinet next to her dresser. It was from 1954, 70 years ago, when she was 17 and a senior in high school.

As I read the journal, I learned where she got her love of photos! She received a camera as a gift for graduation from her aunt and her picture taking began. Our house was always full of photo albums, and I would get lost in them for hours each weekend when it was time to dust the living room.

I read when Mom first met my dad at the county fair, every movie they saw, every dance they attended, the diamond she received, and their wedding and honeymoon trip three years later.

Mom always shared details of her life so I felt like I knew most everything there was to know, but this brings a whole new level! She was a strong, dedicated woman with a zeal for life and her family! I miss her so much, but this has helped ease our loss.

What a gift she left our family! The gift of a lifetime!