Chip sent me an email with some vague memories of our times with Ruthe and Bette. I was able to fill in some blanks for him but I love that he was thinking about her. It became clear to me many years ago that my family is filled with strong women and sensitive men. Lovely men. Non-alpha males. I can personally trace this trend back to my mom's dad. My grandpa. My crazy grandpa. He was 100% Norwegian, raised on one of the largest cattle ranches in South Dakota, had the first car in the state and was one of eight children. They don't make characters like him anymore. He was artistic so his family sent him to the Chicago Art Institute as a teenager. He loved Chicago but missed the life of a cowboy.
He fell hard for my grandmother who was Irish, French and English and one strong cookie. He was crazy in love with her. My mom adored her father and I think chose the same fun, supportive, lively, different man for her husband. He was not an alpha male either. She is one strong cookie. They produced three children. Lee is strong in her own way but married an alpha male. Chip is the sensitive tender soul who married one strong cookie. And me? I guess I am one strong cookie married to the most lovely, sensitive, kind, different, non-alpha male. Our children? Lee's daughter is one strong cookie. William? A very lovely, kind, sensitive, creative, artistic non-alpha male.
I see a trend! I remember hearing stories about my grandpa's parents. When grandpa's three youngest sisters wanted to move off the ranch to a specific house that they found in Minneapolis, their father bought it. He was a very kind, lovely, artistic, brilliant rancher, creative man. I would suspect his wife was a smart cookie.
With Ruthe's passing, I am thinking about all the strong women on both branches of my family tree and the wonderful men who were strong enough to take them on. They were happy together.
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