AlisonH
Filed under: Family
Penicillin was a few years away yet. My grandmother, a young mom, pleaded with her older sister to live. Her sister, deathly ill with childbed fever and knowing by then that it was not to be, yearning to comfort her, asked her, Frances? Where are your children?
My grandmother said they were being watched by (whoever it was) while she came to see her in the hospital.
Her sister assured her that her own children, too, would be taken good care of.
And so my grandmother took in the little boys at her sister’s death, her brother-in-law feeling too overwhelmed to cope on his own and needing the help.They stayed for a few years, and my mom considered them almost more her brothers.
Years ago, talking to someone at church after we moved to California, in a chance remark I found the woman was the daughter of one of those boys–we were second cousins. Who knew.
Today we celebrated at the wedding of her daughter, laughing at our daughters being third cousins and why did it matter anyway and the improbability of having made the connection, glad we did just because it’s fun to claim each other.
We are all, in the end, each others’ brothers and sisters.
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What a touching story! How wonderful that you were able to find each other!
Comment by henya 07.01.12 @ 5:05 amglad you felt well enough after your tumble to go to a wedding!
family can be found in amazing places — the wonderful woman that cared for my daughter when she was little and I discovered that her husband’s family and my maternal grandmother’s family came from the same little area in Washington County, Arkansas and shared a family name — we’ve always considered her family, and it’s fun to find that we actually are!
Comment by Bev 07.01.12 @ 9:32 amNo coincidences. I’m glad you connected and through your bond, honor that bond between sisters long ago.
Comment by Channon 07.01.12 @ 10:13 amMarvelous story! You know, of course, that if you go back far enough, we are ALL related.
Comment by Don Meyer 07.01.12 @ 10:54 amHow very cool! And I’m also happy to learn you were well enough to join the celebration. Some 20+ years ago my cousin married a classmate of mine. They are 3 years apart and didn’t know each other in high school. They dated for six months before they realized his cousin Debbie was her friend Debbie. I gained another cousin!
Comment by DebbieR 07.01.12 @ 2:02 pmOne tribe, y’all. (Catching up on my blog reading MANY days later due to massive electrical outages here in southern WV.)
Comment by Debbi 07.13.12 @ 5:40 amLeave a comment
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