This is great stuff David. I think it is important to get our story written, important to re-live some of those painful memories and reprocess them with the new knowledge we gain about ourselves each day more that we are alive. I challenge myself regularly to look again and look again. How might those memories be different? What can we understand about what we went through as children now that we have lived full lives ourselves. Well done and best wishes to you.
Thank you April. I've been doing exactly that for the last several weeks exclusively, it's exhausting :) because my grandmother was effectively one of my parents I grew up learning everything there was to know about the generations before me and all the stories she had to tell... The good and bad. I'm almost done with the whole story but wanted to get the first part out there - it's why I haven't given you what I owe you yet, but I haven't forgotten ;)
David, I just keep a vague eye on you to reassure myself you haven't kicked the bucket yet ha ha, but you never owe me. Life is a messy network of events and emotions. You are doing good stuff here ❤️❤️
This is a wonderful first installment and overall addition to your memoir series, David. You have much personal and ancestral history to draw on. I’m staying tuned for more of your writings.
Thank you Heidi, your support means a great deal to me :) I have published the final section of my mother's story-it's quite long, but I hope you find I have done her story Justice :(
Thank you for your kind words and comment Elizabeth-it was indeed a difficult project but one that was long overdue. The final section has been published but be warned it is lengthy :)
I love that you know the heritage of your family. You are an amazing storyteller. It is hard to go back, and yes, relive parts of one’s life. It cause growth and sometimes miraculously more empathy and kindness to those in our life now. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you Monica-it is hard reliving pieces of these stories in order to share them with others, but I was spoiled by growing up with my grandmother and learning all of these things about my family from an elder ancestor that had lived them herself. I'm sure the way she told me her stories made me the Storyteller I grew up to become :)
Thank you Stanley... As I'm sure you know, the older we get the more we look back at all the little pieces of the whole we grow to become. No matter who we are, where we came from - and who - none of us leaves this Mortal coil without our fair share of both the beautiful and The Ugly, and all any of us can hope for is that we leave this place with a whole lot more of the former than the latter :)
Your mum sounds like one amazing woman. Your family has such a rich history too. Mine is comparatively boring, other than that several generations before my parents were even thought of the O'Keegoin tribe was exiled from Ireland for piracy... It makes me wonder how much I really don't know about my family.
I dunno, Jenny, having Pirate relatives sounds pretty cool to me:) and yes... While I didn't appreciate it growing up, I came to understand that my mother really was an amazing woman. The one big lie she told me her entire life was that I was no trouble at all as a child hahaha
Well it always sounded pretty cool to me too, but I don't know anyone who knew that side of the family and it seems far enough away to be suspicious. But my Grampa used to talk about hi grampa or great grampa or something when I was very little or so I'm told anyway.
Also, my mum tells me the same thing, and since I have my own children, it's hard to believe I was as much of an angel as she insists I was. Children are a blessing, and a challenge no matter how you look at it.
I enjoyed your telling of your family’s stories. My brother collects those old organs, and it’s nice to imagine where they’ve been, and who has played them! He plays hammer dulcimer with a musical group that congregates at festivals with other groups in the summer. The folk camp, and the old-timey music wafts over the campground like a blessing.
Thank you for your comment, and you let me know anytime... Since your brother collects them and obviously cares about them... If he'd like to have this one to add to his collection, so long as he loves it and puts it to good continued use :)
So very kind of you to offer! My brother’s house is overflowing already, because of his fondness for the antiques! He does a circuit of festivals in the summer and sets up a display of old dulcimers, music, etc. I will ask him if he knows of a worthy group that fosters treasured pump organs.
In any case, maybe you should write a history of your family instrument, and attach it to the bottom so other people can appreciate her.
They truly are a blessing... There is an old saying out there, I don't remember where I heard it, along the lines of children being God's way of getting even with us for what we did to our own parent🤣
This is great stuff David. I think it is important to get our story written, important to re-live some of those painful memories and reprocess them with the new knowledge we gain about ourselves each day more that we are alive. I challenge myself regularly to look again and look again. How might those memories be different? What can we understand about what we went through as children now that we have lived full lives ourselves. Well done and best wishes to you.
Thank you April. I've been doing exactly that for the last several weeks exclusively, it's exhausting :) because my grandmother was effectively one of my parents I grew up learning everything there was to know about the generations before me and all the stories she had to tell... The good and bad. I'm almost done with the whole story but wanted to get the first part out there - it's why I haven't given you what I owe you yet, but I haven't forgotten ;)
David, I just keep a vague eye on you to reassure myself you haven't kicked the bucket yet ha ha, but you never owe me. Life is a messy network of events and emotions. You are doing good stuff here ❤️❤️
This is a wonderful first installment and overall addition to your memoir series, David. You have much personal and ancestral history to draw on. I’m staying tuned for more of your writings.
Thank you Heidi, your support means a great deal to me :) I have published the final section of my mother's story-it's quite long, but I hope you find I have done her story Justice :(
Thank you, David. I see your story in my inbox and will devote the time to it over the next couple of days. Thank you, my friend.
Thank you, and no rush... You'll need a long coffee or beverage of your choice :)
Ha! I’ll be prepared!
I can feel how difficult this was to write but you told it beautifully. I grew up near Rockford, IL, I know the area well.
Thank you for your kind words and comment Elizabeth-it was indeed a difficult project but one that was long overdue. The final section has been published but be warned it is lengthy :)
I love that you know the heritage of your family. You are an amazing storyteller. It is hard to go back, and yes, relive parts of one’s life. It cause growth and sometimes miraculously more empathy and kindness to those in our life now. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you Monica-it is hard reliving pieces of these stories in order to share them with others, but I was spoiled by growing up with my grandmother and learning all of these things about my family from an elder ancestor that had lived them herself. I'm sure the way she told me her stories made me the Storyteller I grew up to become :)
Thank you for what for this painful story to tell much less live.
Thank you Stanley... As I'm sure you know, the older we get the more we look back at all the little pieces of the whole we grow to become. No matter who we are, where we came from - and who - none of us leaves this Mortal coil without our fair share of both the beautiful and The Ugly, and all any of us can hope for is that we leave this place with a whole lot more of the former than the latter :)
Truth!
Your access and use of family lore amazes me, Dave. No one can match this
That's very kind of you to say my friend... I think.
You will enjoy the next part :)
It's true.
Your mum sounds like one amazing woman. Your family has such a rich history too. Mine is comparatively boring, other than that several generations before my parents were even thought of the O'Keegoin tribe was exiled from Ireland for piracy... It makes me wonder how much I really don't know about my family.
I dunno, Jenny, having Pirate relatives sounds pretty cool to me:) and yes... While I didn't appreciate it growing up, I came to understand that my mother really was an amazing woman. The one big lie she told me her entire life was that I was no trouble at all as a child hahaha
Well it always sounded pretty cool to me too, but I don't know anyone who knew that side of the family and it seems far enough away to be suspicious. But my Grampa used to talk about hi grampa or great grampa or something when I was very little or so I'm told anyway.
Also, my mum tells me the same thing, and since I have my own children, it's hard to believe I was as much of an angel as she insists I was. Children are a blessing, and a challenge no matter how you look at it.
I enjoyed your telling of your family’s stories. My brother collects those old organs, and it’s nice to imagine where they’ve been, and who has played them! He plays hammer dulcimer with a musical group that congregates at festivals with other groups in the summer. The folk camp, and the old-timey music wafts over the campground like a blessing.
Thank you for your comment, and you let me know anytime... Since your brother collects them and obviously cares about them... If he'd like to have this one to add to his collection, so long as he loves it and puts it to good continued use :)
So very kind of you to offer! My brother’s house is overflowing already, because of his fondness for the antiques! He does a circuit of festivals in the summer and sets up a display of old dulcimers, music, etc. I will ask him if he knows of a worthy group that fosters treasured pump organs.
In any case, maybe you should write a history of your family instrument, and attach it to the bottom so other people can appreciate her.
I share his "disease" :)
I was born Mar 16, 1942. My father's roots go back to Cornwall England.
They truly are a blessing... There is an old saying out there, I don't remember where I heard it, along the lines of children being God's way of getting even with us for what we did to our own parent🤣
That is amazing! I am sure you are quite proud of that. I know I would be