I was sent a hint from Ancestry, a pay genealogy site for which I do not pay and therefore am limited as to what information I can access, that led me to a free site and this image –
I know who all these people are except for – Antonio (Tony Torre? Seriously?). Then I thought ➜ must transfer my family tree from Ancestry to Family Search ➜ which is a free site run by the LDS ➜ the LDS sends young men, in pairs, on ‘missions’ including urban residential areas ➜ which reminded me of when such young men came to my door and my response was “You are children!” send a middle aged woman to talk to me ➜ which made me think of the song “Children Go Where I Send Thee”
➜ which made me remember a similar song from my childhood – “Green Grow the Rushes-O”
OTOH – earlier in the morning I scampered down a rabbit hole researching the topic I was planning on writing about today – the origins of the word “stepmother” – a word and concept I find offensive.
The Oxymoron 
I love how your mind works! And I do hope you share your findings and musings on stepmother. I have one and often prefer to think of her as a Bonus Mom. In fact I think of you in such terms also. A woman, mentor, friend that often provides motherly-like guidance and advise. I think that should be the definition!
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The canny ways of the mind – an example – whilst l was reading this – l saw this out of the corner of my left eye … “© Grace St. Clair and Just Tawkin', 2005 -2021. ” You need to change the 2021 to 2022 🙂 It's me.
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Thank you and done! Which me? (Rory?)
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I think 'Mother” and any variation belongs to just one person – well maybe I'm okay with fairy godmother LOL Now why would motherly-like advice be any different from any other kind of advice? Hmmm – food for thought.
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That's quite an interesting journey of thoughts! I love when you share your thought process! I'm curious about what you find regarding stepmother. I have one and a stepfather but I don't call either one of them that. I use their names. I don't know the meaning of the word but since they both came after I was a married adult, I don't feel they have a right to any type of parent name with me.
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It's funny how the brain can start with one subject and bounce from one thing to another. Now I'm going to have to check out family search
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And you are right – your parents remarried when you were an adult therefore their new spouses had no participation in your upbringing – hence they are simply 'John' and 'Mary', your parent's spouses. It becomes sticky when someone remarries when their children are young and the new spouse(s) are responsible for these children. Definition of stepmother: ” a woman who is the wife or partner of one's father after the divorce or separation of one's parents or the death of one's mother” and that definition can be applied across the many family relationships – father, brother, sister, grandparent etc.
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And my brain always ends in music! Yeah, if you have any interest in your family background Family Search is an easy place to start…
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Yes – it is indeed that me – Rory 🙂
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