Mabel was born in 1923. In the year of her birth, a number
of newsworthy events took place. Insulin was introduced, changing the world for
diabetics. The first issue of Time Magazine
was published in March, and Warner Brothers’ film studio opened. Yankee Stadium
hosted its first ball game later that spring, and someone in Sweden got the
first home refrigerator. The Civil War ended in Ireland, where Mabel’s family
history originates. In a foreshadowing of things to come, Adolf Hitler led the
Nazi party in a failed coup attempt in Germany.
On the home front, folks were crowding movie theatres to
watch “The Ten Commandments” with Theodore Roberts and “The Hunchback of Notre
Dame” with Lon Chaney. Women were wearing drop-waist dresses with straight
lines and they rarely left the house without a tilted hat on their heads. For a
night on the town, men wore something called a Broadway hat with a three-piece
suit under a moleskin coat.
The first portable radio was released in 1923 but in South
Porcupine, Ontario, where Mabel was born, her parents likely first heard the musical
magic of jazz great Louis Armstrong on the family Victrola. The community was
home to a gold mine, and most families in the area were very familiar with the
mining way of life. It was hard work, in a climate that was hard living. People
from this northern town are known to have character, and a sense of humour.
At the age of 18, Mabel met a young railway worker by the
name of Garnet. They were a handsome couple, and far more mature than the teens
of today. They got married and moved to Ottawa, where they settled down to
raise two sons.
An administrator with a skill for numbers, Mabel worked her
way up the corporate ladder in finance. Her strong will and belief in herself
enabled her to thrive in a male-dominated environment that was not exactly
supportive of women. A natural leader and problem solver, she thought carefully
before speaking with confidence. The men who might otherwise try to take credit
for her work had no choice but to get the heck out of Mabel’s way. At the peak
of her career, she was head of Finance for the Federal Court of Canada.
Mabel is my grandmother. I always thought of her as slightly
intimidating, the matriarch of the Leeson family. You certainly didn’t want to
let her down. But as the years went on, I realized what my Dad said was true:
“do not underestimate your Grandmother.”
Full disclosure: I had no idea what he meant by this, at
first. But as I went through a number of dramatic and difficult stages in my
own life, I always found Grandma to be that constant, reassuring presence that
I could turn to. And believe it or not, she never passed judgement. She was
never shocked or disappointed, much to my surprise.
When I was having trouble in my first marriage, Grandma
showed up at the door to remind me that we Leesons don’t just give up when
times get tough. But a few months later when I had to admit all the counselling
in the world couldn’t solve my prolems and I called it quits, she simply said,
“Meh. I’m surprised you stayed as long as you did. You certainly tried.”
It also amazes me that Grandma knows exactly what is going
on in the world. She has always been a traveller, so she has been exposed to
other cultures and races her whole life. She has a very practical and fair
world view, unlike many of her generation. And I think it helps that she does
not get her updates on world events from Fox News. Mabel sees the world through
the eyes of her 7 grandchildren, and 15 grandchildren. She is up to date on the
popular culture of today, but she can also easily tell us about the way things
were because, unlike many people at the age of 96, she has not lost her ability
to bring forth her memories.
I’m looking forward to spending an afternoon with Grandma
someday soon. We will have a lunch of peameal bacon and tomatoes on toast with
mustard, potato chips and gingerale. We will get out the box of photos and I
will listen to the stories that each one brings forward from Mabel’s memory
bank. I have my favourites. Maybe this time she will tell me some of hers.
Happy Birthday, Mabel. May your 97th year be
happy, healthy and full of beautiful surprises.
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| Mabel with Paulina at her wedding - photo by Elenora Luberto |
