Sady, Sady, Married Lady
Certain periods in time are magical. For whatever
reason, all the essential elements align to create an extraordinary
event.
What happened on May 15, 1924 was one such moment. On that
day, the magic of my mother was born.
Virginia Marie Conlon is my mother. She is also the mother of my four
sisters (Mary, Gina, Kathy, and Jean) and four brothers (Jim, Mike, Joe
and Tom).
The fact that she bore nine children should be indication enough that
Virginia Marie Conlon is among a rare breed. For well over forty
decades, this woman's days were filled with children and teenagers all
clamoring for her love and attention. Mom would say that even now, at
age 82, her eight living children (Mike passed away in 1989) though
grown with lives of their own still draw on her. She is right!
A Family Takes Shape
So much of Virginia Marie Conlon’s world is wrapped around her family
that it is hard to depict her individually. It is as if her family,
including her beloved husband, James Joseph Conlon Jr. (1922-2001), is
part of her in a physical way. She is shaped by her family, as her
family is shaped by her.
This mother of nine, grandmother of ten, and great grandmother of
two, also stands alone. And her "single" voice shouts to be heard.
But Virginia Marie Conlon does not take the direct approach when
communicating. Her emotions run so deep that they don't dare hit the
surface, at least not consciously. But those feelings are
released, and luckily for her, quite regularly.
Artistic Expression
Virginia Marie Conlon
speaks through her artwork—a blend of different mediums. It's
interesting that as Mom gets older, instead of slowing down, her
creative juices seem to flow stronger. Maybe, she has more time to devote
to it, but more likely it's the result of rumblings within her psyche
(and heart) forcing their way out.
Like any skilled artist, Mom works hard at it.
Enter Mom's Portal
This multi-media site is an attempt to capture the essence of
Virginia Marie Conlon by looking at the magical moments in her life,
both past and present, and the legacy she is building for generations to come. It tells the story primarily by highlighting
Virginia Marie Conlon's own creative works, which are extensive, span
decades, and cross artistic genres.
It is a portal to Mom's poems, short stories,
drawings, and music. The site also highlights video clips of
several one-on-one interviews with Mom.
Family History
Since my mother is a "saver," never throwing anything out, the site
holds a wealth of family history, that outlines the ancestral lineage
(on my mother's side) starting with my great grandmother Marie Quinzer
Peters (date of birth and death). In a sense, since Mom is the
primary content provider, this site is my mother's own
creation—a self portrait if you will.
Open to New Ideas
Virginia Marie Conlon certainly knows how to "capture a moment."
Without even knowing what a Web site is or the technology behind it, she
was open to a new creative opportunity with a hi-tech approach, and is
collaborating on this with me!
To all who enter — Enjoy!
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