January 19, 1970

The University of Illinois was on the quarter system. That meant students didn’t finish their studies and exams before Christmas break but had to face them when classes resumed after the holidays.

The university had just begun allowing students to bring portable typewriters to the exams for essay questions, but we no longer owned one. My college typewriter had traveled to the East Coast with brother Tom, where he was using it (right) for the same purpose at American University.

But Nate’s parents came to his rescue, sending money to buy another typewriter. We were both appreciative, and it would be a big help through the rest of law school.

Nate had returned to intensive study when I’d returned to teaching, and his exams had now come and gone. He felt like he did alright, though he said the tests were complex and extremely difficult. (That’s what A-students always said.)

About this time we got a crazy letter from Mom. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she’d been sipping sangria. At a minimum she was in a goofy mood when she typed.

She began by letting us know it was Monday and then said, Isn’t it great to be ALIVE? That should have been our first clue.

Her salutation was good, even excellent – Our dear children – proving she had completely embraced Nate as her own. I was thrilled about that. And she went on:

We trust and have prayed that our young lawyer has survived his ordeal of testing. Regardless of his scores, he definitely scores high with us. We realize his sincere desire to do his best, and this he has done. Our congratulations to this good son-in-love. Relax a bit, Nate; there will be more pressures. It is Charles Percy who welcomes problems because he says it helps him grow. So who wants to grow?

Hmmm. And she continued:

Last night during the evening service [as the organist], I played “Stranger in Paradise” for the offertory, and Pastor Sweeting had a few jollies out of it. Even the audience got into the act to laugh, etc. On Sunday nights Bervin and Mary sit with your father’s old wife, so we all were in stitches. And I just let Pastor Sweeting enjoy himself.

I pictured Mom at that massive organ shaking with laughter as she played with her church-hat askew.

She seemed proud of her “crime” but was just getting warmed up:

Last week we invited two older ladies over for dinner. But then the guest list swelled to include another family and two more women. Good thing I had a 12 pound leg of lamb that had to be used, since it had already thawed. Got it? Get it! It felt good to throw my leg into the oven. See how mundane a homemaker’s life becomes when she can get word-happy about a leg of lamb?

By the way, your high school friend Linda has a new baby boy. So does her husband.

And there was more:

Your father’s retirement is going along well. Bless the boy. He’s an easy guy to have underfoot, and I love him dearly! He manages to get down to the office once or twice a week, despite his full retirement. And me? I’m re-treaded.

Her letter was a script for a stand-up routine that lasted through two single-spaced typed pages. Nate and I wondered, if not alcohol, then what? Whatever it was, it had produced a fountain of good cheer that had bubbled up and out of her.

She signed her letter thus:

The Bible says “to depart is far better.” So…. so long. And keep warm! Mom

All I could do was thank God for such a happy parent and hope she could stay out of trouble.

“For the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” (Proverbs 15:15)