Madonna of the Hops: 1939

Viewing these heartbreaking photos of hard times makes me aware of how rapidly people age when times are particularly tough. To compare this poor girl to the "luckier" ones, it is difficult to believe she is only 23, equivalent perhaps to a "just one year out of college" bright-eyed, co-ed we may know, and yet the enthusiasm and optimism she may have once felt as a teen looking forward to being a grown-up is beaten down, nearly gone, like the sleeve torn off her dress, almost to the point of sheer desperation and hopelessness. One wonders how she even managed a smile or could have envisioned a better future. As for the sad-eyed baby, his face looks even older than hers. Nobody wants to think about how hard many of our ancestors worked and toiled, even went without life's necessities, just to persevere and make things better for us, but I guarantee you they did. Think about it sometime.

A photo to make us ponder our good luck on Mother's Day.

Having heard stories of the depression from my mother, and seeing this picture of this hard working mother I hope she found her way into a good life with her family. I hope too, that her husband was able to survive the great war they were soon to be thrust into. It would be wonderful to hear from relatives of the people in these posts to tell us the rest of the story. Happy Mothers Day.