Mom Knew Best: If I Didn't Laugh, I'd Cry

By Marilyn Regan Sachs

Inspired by her mother's optimistic outlook on life, Marilyn Regan Sachs has written a collection of vignettes about finding humor in the ever-changing times that swirled around her childhood, teenage, and adult years, including a short stint in the convent and a sixty-six-year marriage to her husband, Carl, affectionately called The Chameleon. Together, they raised four daughters and shared numerous adventures, many of which have ended up in the pages of Mom Knew Best: If I Didn't Laugh, I'd Cry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Mar 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645753544

Marilyn Regan Sachs

Marilyn Regan Sachs has been published in Sea, Pasadena, and Catholic World.

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About the Author

Marilyn Regan Sachs has been published in Sea, Pasadena, and Catholic World.

Dedication

To my mom, who, in the midst of this chaotic world, brought peace and humor into our lives, and to my husband, Carl, The Chameleon, who turned sixty-six years of marriage into a wonderful adventure.

Copyright Information ©

Marilyn Regan Sachs (2020)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales: special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Sachs, Marilyn Regan

Mom Knew Best: If I Didn’t Laugh, I’d Cry

Austin Macauley is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the author’s alone and portrayed to the best of their recollection. In some cases, names and details have been changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

ISBN 9781645753520 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781645753537 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781645753544 (ePub e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020903401

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published (2020)

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 28th Floor

New York, NY 10005

USA

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Acknowledgment

I owe a huge thanks to my editor, Marla Miller, who turned these stories into a book. Her guidance was invaluable, and she stayed with me every step of the way.

2018

Introduction

I was born with the proverbial silver spoon in my mouth but as time went on, with age and dwindling income, it became slightly tarnished. So here I am at eighty-eighty years old with four daughters, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, daily waking up to my usual habit of turning on the news filled with wars, rapes, murders, kidnappings, drive by shootings or car chases on freeways with ten police cars following in agonizingly slow pursuit. It’s like waking in the middle of a nightmare. My acronym for the NEWS? Not Even Worth Seeing.

Not long ago, I lay in bed thinking there has to be a modicum of happiness and laughter somewhere in the world. My thoughts turned to Mom, a woman filled with wisdom, compassion and understanding, a woman who found humor in the world around her.

When Mom became terminally ill, I visited daily. On one visit, I told her I was going through a tumultuous time. I felt as though my life was a jumble of disconnected strings. She smiled and said, Everything that happens in your life is connected. Living is a series of vignettes. When our life draws to a close, they become our very own gospel, our individual story. The most important things to remember are the happy, fun-filled times. Then, when you are older, you will have a scrapbook filled with wonderful memories. Two weeks later, she was gone.

Recently and after sixty-six years of marriage, I lost my husband, Carl. I married this handsome Air Force Captain, whom I had known for a few short months. Little did I know that my husband, whom I affectionately called ‘The Chameleon’ would take me on the greatest roller coaster ride of my life.

Carl was a bomber pilot flying B-17’s in World War II. After the war, he completed his college education. When I met Carl for the first time, he had just re-entered the Air Force. He was stationed in Seattle, and I was living in New York. He would fly into N.Y. on occasion.

Carl was smart and funny with endless energy and ideas. Although our visits were brief, he took me everywhere: museums, the theater and long drives in the country. I had dated other young men but something about Carl’s enthusiasm for life attracted me to him. Putting it bluntly, I fell in love.

After Carl’s fourth trip to New York, he asked me to marry him. We were riding a carriage through Central Park at midnight. He put his arms around me.

I have an extra parachute in my plane, and I want you to come back to Seattle, and be my wife.

In a whisper, I said, Yes. Unexpectedly, that small word opened up a wonderful world, I could not have imagined. Sometimes the word chameleon conjures up a cute little gecko, but in this case, it’s my husband’s mind that changes. Early in our marriage, he planned a lovely weekend trip to the desert. At three in the morning, he woke me up.

Forget the desert. We leave for Europe in a week. With that said, he rolled over and went back to