Mildred Wolper, my maternal grandmother was born on Flag Day, June 14, 1900. On Flag Day, while people commemorate the United States Flag, my mind fills with wonderful memories of my grandmother and family growing up. Known to us as Nana Millie, she was married to Papa Sam for many decades. Papa Sam’s single sister Lillian lived with them from the time my mother and aunt were young girls. That was the way families were back then. The family often took care of elderly parents in their home and siblings lived all together. We now are strictly nuclear families often with long distances between us and our loved ones. We grew up going to Nana, Papa, and Aunt Lilla’s apartment on the second floor of a two-family home on Winchester St. Brookline, every Friday night for dinner. They were a big part of our lives. My memory takes me back to wonderful dinners sometimes with New York cousins and other relatives in their welcoming oversized dining room. I would sometimes help Nana roll the dough and mix the filling for the homemade rugelach. I can still see Nana Millie in her white barrel chair by the window in the den playing solitaire on a stack table while Papa Sam sat at his desk and discussed politics. Occasionally my sisters and I would sleep over if our parents went away. Aunt Lilla snored loudly so I did not love that. Someone’s teeth were also often soaking in a cup in the bathroom. I do not know that I ever knew who they belonged to. What I do know is that having the love of my grandparents and extended family in my life, enriched it greatly. On Flag Day, I think of my grandmother and am transported back to that simpler time. I can feel the warmth and caring.
