The Shadows in Our Home were cast by my mother’s younger brothers– Dale, Danny, and Junior. I was aware that all three had lost their lives during the war. Mom didn’t talk about those stories, but she did talk about when they were kids during the Great Depression. Their pictures in uniform, along with her two older brothers in uniform and with their wives sat on bookshelves sometimes. Sometimes Mom put them away, when the shadows began to overwhelm her again, attempting to drag her into a dark place. They weren’t in sight but their shadows still lingered. From Chapter 8: The Memory Keeper in Meadowlark Songs: A Motherline Legacy, due out later this year.
I sincerely understand those shadows.
I sense that, GP. Bless you.
Thank you. I hope I’m not too obvious.
No, a kindred nuance.
Your mother was brave, Joy. The shadows were surely there at all times but her ability to bring stories forward from their childhoods kept them close, no doubt for you and other family members. Thank you for sharing. 💕
Thank you, Vicki. She didn’t really begin to share until her later years. As a teenager, I was clueless.
Ah…I see. And look at all that you took in…oh my. Hugs! ❤️
And still contemplating it. Thanks, Vicki.
🥰❤️🥰
Hugs to you! Your mother was a beautiful soul!
Bless you, Linda.
It’s not just the parents left behind, right. Hard for your mom to lose three brothers like that. Poignant.
Yes, Eilene, also a grandmother, other siblings (my Aunt Darlene was the twin of the one who has never been found), even cousins.
I’m sure those shadows were always there as a reminder to your mom. She was a strong woman, not letting her sadness dwell.
She told me later that she’d gone through deep depression twice, once when I was in high school. I was a clueless teenager.
A wonderful excerpt, Joy.
Thank you, John. It’s not all bittersweet like this one.
A moving remembrance.
The loss of family members does cast a shadow. Your poignant excerpt says it in a touching manner, Joy.
Thank you, Tim.
My pleasure, Joy. 😍
Your mother’s reverie about her brothers during the Great Depression, and how she dealt with her memories later, was a heart touching account. Thanks for sharing this excerpt, Joy.
Thank you, Nancy.
Joy, what a profoundly tragic loss. I’m so sorry. Wow.
Thank you, Darryl. I couldn’t let their family story be forgotten so that’s why I wrote Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During WWII. Leora was their mother, and my delightful grandmother for four decades after the war.
Can’t wait to read it!