My father was eight years old in the 1918 influenza pandemic. His father died in the second wave that hit the U.S. in the autumn of that year. On Armistice Day, Annie Reilly and her five children were headed to Peter Reilly’s funeral. Crowds filled the streets of Pittsburgh to celebrate the end of theContinue reading “13. The Man Who Loved My Mother”
Tag Archives: Life of Reillys
12. If you’re going to San Francisco…
When I was ten, my parents sent me to visit my sister Maureen in San Francisco. In my lavender Easter dress, matching jacket, and white patent leather shoes, I flew across the country. My uncle, who was general counsel for United Airlines, had secured a first class seat for me. The stewardess brought me aContinue reading “12. If you’re going to San Francisco…”
11. You say alligator; I say crocodile
Brian is sure it was an American alligator. He describes the vivid markings as though he can see them still. Kevin is equally certain that it was a caiman, which is a type of small crocodile. I suppose Kevin should know since he was the one who dropped down into the enclosure outside the reptileContinue reading “11. You say alligator; I say crocodile”
10. Crybabies, Cigars and a Hog
The night before I married Jeff, the father of my daughter Maeve, my brother Brian stood up at the rehearsal dinner and said, Welcome to the family, Jeff. I wish you and my sister much happiness…but if you hurt her, you’ll have me to answer to. This protective streak was nothing new to me. MyContinue reading “10. Crybabies, Cigars and a Hog”
9. Christmas Eve
When we were young, my mother perpetuated the myth that, along with all the toys, Santa Claus brought the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. If you have celebrated Christmas as a parent, you undoubtedly agree that this is a sure-fire way to ruin Christmas for parents. Nevertheless, Mom persisted. She had no doubt in theContinue reading “9. Christmas Eve”
8. BFFs, Pt. 2
Although I am no endocrinologist, I am certain there is a direct link between pubescent girls’ estrogen-producing ovaries and the area in the frontal lobe where laughter is stimulated. Often this laughter has nothing to do with anything humorous. Just as often this connection can lead to a critical lack of judgment. Once Carol andContinue reading “8. BFFs, Pt. 2”
7. BFFs, Pt. 1
I met Carol Prentice in the sixth grade through our mutual friend Lulu. She had a wicked laugh and a tiny toenail on each of her little toes. She had read all the Nancy Drew books. She also had a window air conditioner in her room, which was pure luxury in my book. Carol wentContinue reading “7. BFFs, Pt. 1”
6. An Irish Wedding
When my brother Dennis married Geraldine O’Mahony, I was eight. Dennis, like many other Georgetown alums, had found his way into the bar business, in his case, after teaching English at St. John’s High School. He met his beautiful bride at Matt Kane’s on 13th Street. She and her family had left Waterford, Ireland whenContinue reading “6. An Irish Wedding”
5. Sergeants & Ghosts
When you’re seven and following your older brothers, there’s a shortcut for everything: through a neighbor’s yard, over a fence or, in this case, behind an apartment building and down an alleyway. It was in this alleyway that we found a trove of discarded building materials from the construction of an apartment building on ConnecticutContinue reading “5. Sergeants & Ghosts”
4. Moe
When there were only five children in the Reilly family, my parents took the four older kids to Canada on vacation and left Kevin, the baby, at home with our grandmother. They visited Quebec and Niagara Falls, but the stories they came back with didn’t involve any of the sights. Apparently, Dad never wanted toContinue reading “4. Moe”
Life of Reillys 