Remember When - All my Children

I spent a significant portion of my childhood (and every day from 12-18) with my grandmother, Mary Lou Woods. There were several things she loved in life: Her family, pictures on a wall, gardening, flowers and "All My Children" -- a lunchtime routine that existed from the day the show started. I grew up knowing the characters and story lines. When I went to college, she would call to chat and would always be sure to tell me what happened on her "story" that day. Sadly, she passed on in 2002. I haven't seen or read about an episode since outside of grocery store check out stand soap opera magazine covers. Today I read that AMC and its sister show, "One Life to Live" are being cancelled. Seems logical, I suppose. Soap operas really are a thing of the past, an art form suited to an era of housewives without DISH Network or cable. (Although how those housewives made time for the soaps, I do not know...). Watching this little YouTube video, though, reminded me of how addictive soaps were, even when I was a kid. I remembered these characters fondly -- whether by association with my grandmother or from the fact that I simply liked them, I don't know. (This clip didn't include super couple Angie and Jesse, but I noticed in a different clip more recent-ish episodes where Jesse was alive and he and Angie got married again. I happen to know he "died" in the late 80s/early 90s, so boy, did I miss a good come-back-from-the-dead story line...) So, Joe and Ruth, Edmond and Maria, Brooke and Tad/Adam, Tad and Dixie, Hayley and Matteo, Opal and Palmer, Erica and, well, everyone, apparently, Angie and Jesse, and everyone else in Pine Valley, good bye. Thanks for being family friends all these years. I might have to catch an episode or two before you go for good.