Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tale of a family party
A long time ago a baby girl was born and very soon after her mother died.
Very sad.
The baby needed a new family to help her thrive and she was passed to a very loving family.....part of the existing family.
But this was done with no outside help or supervision (why should it have been?) and it was decided it might be best to keep the original details of her birth covered up.
That baby was my mother's sister.....and therefore my aunt.
But it did seem that the extended family would always be kept away from the original truth and I never got to know my aunt.
She was happy with her family who gave her much love.
Although she had worked out the truth, she felt no reason to uncover the original details.
It would have completely stayed that way until.......I suggested that I would very much like to meet my lost aunt. This was at a time when I was very ill with cancer and might not have lived. Family members stepped in and we met and that original truth was acknowledged by all.
But I still knew very little about my aunt.....there have only been 2 brief meetings at family occasions, when I wasn't really sure what to say.
Very recently I learned more about her own two children.....and through the wonders of the computer and facebook we got in touch.
So, many thanks go to my cousin - one who I had never met, for she invited me to a family party.
I met both my cousins for the first time and my second cousin and above all.......my lovely aunt.
They have now become very real people to me.
Here are a few family snap shots.
The hosts of the party - my cousin and her husband.
It had been his birthday a few days before and were there to celebrate.
A very special treat was the band.......he introduced Charming.
One of the members (the drummer) is my cousin and her husband's son.
Oh she is so much fun!
My aunt......and I don't think I am imagining that I look quite like her.
My aunt's son.........
my cousin.
My aunt and her grandson........the drummer in the band.
The band......Charming. Vocal harmonies, guitars ---fast and slow, gentle and lively. How shall I
describe their music? Folk rock sort of does it.
A tale of a party.....and a tale of much more.
It was a tale with a sad and confused beginning which turned to love and joy. There has been much joy along the way and, of course, some heartaches too.
The tale does not end.....each generation carries it forward.
I think that the young mother who died over 80 years ago would be happy with the family as it is now.
And I think my mother and her older brother and sister who always knew about that baby would be thrilled to see us all united.
Very sad.
The baby needed a new family to help her thrive and she was passed to a very loving family.....part of the existing family.
But this was done with no outside help or supervision (why should it have been?) and it was decided it might be best to keep the original details of her birth covered up.
That baby was my mother's sister.....and therefore my aunt.
But it did seem that the extended family would always be kept away from the original truth and I never got to know my aunt.
She was happy with her family who gave her much love.
Although she had worked out the truth, she felt no reason to uncover the original details.
It would have completely stayed that way until.......I suggested that I would very much like to meet my lost aunt. This was at a time when I was very ill with cancer and might not have lived. Family members stepped in and we met and that original truth was acknowledged by all.
But I still knew very little about my aunt.....there have only been 2 brief meetings at family occasions, when I wasn't really sure what to say.
Very recently I learned more about her own two children.....and through the wonders of the computer and facebook we got in touch.
So, many thanks go to my cousin - one who I had never met, for she invited me to a family party.
I met both my cousins for the first time and my second cousin and above all.......my lovely aunt.
They have now become very real people to me.
Here are a few family snap shots.
The hosts of the party - my cousin and her husband.
It had been his birthday a few days before and were there to celebrate.
A very special treat was the band.......he introduced Charming.
One of the members (the drummer) is my cousin and her husband's son.
Oh she is so much fun!
My aunt......and I don't think I am imagining that I look quite like her.
My aunt's son.........
my cousin.
My aunt and her grandson........the drummer in the band.
The band......Charming. Vocal harmonies, guitars ---fast and slow, gentle and lively. How shall I
A tale of a party.....and a tale of much more.
It was a tale with a sad and confused beginning which turned to love and joy. There has been much joy along the way and, of course, some heartaches too.
The tale does not end.....each generation carries it forward.
I think that the young mother who died over 80 years ago would be happy with the family as it is now.
And I think my mother and her older brother and sister who always knew about that baby would be thrilled to see us all united.
