She would have been...

It's my mom's birthday today, November 25, 2008.
She would have been 70 years old.
She would have been grandmother to 10 grandchildren, 4 boys and 6 girls, but no great grandchildren yet
She would have been an aging wife to an aging 75 year old husband.
She would have had three remaining siblings out of five.
She would have had no sisters-in-law and one remaining brother-in-law
She would have been totally orphaned by her parents, my grandparents.
She would have had two absentee sons-in-law (by virtue of the circumstances) and only one "legal" daughter-in-law
She would have lost countless friends and neighbors, former classmates, former teachers.
She would have had no remaining uncles and aunts from her dad's side of the family
but I cannot tell if there are any from her mom's side.

My mom would have been celebrating with us her 70th birthday today...had she not been taken away from us by the claws of death 41 years ago at age 29.

Then maybe I would have had more pictures other than this ONLY one I have of her.....