Relatives are assigned, families are chosen

[dcmarti1]

As a child I was intrigued
with the Mille Bornes box
of my father's parents. Actually,
it was his father and stepmother.
My grandfather was divorced and received
sole custody of my father before WW2.
I have no idea what that really means,
but I think I know what it might mean.
My grandfather was in a POW camp and
we have the letters he was allowed to write.
I never heard my father discuss his mother.
I never saw pictures of my father's mother.
My grandfather died at 59.
His brothers also died at 59, except for one at 65.
The grandmother I knew died at 56.
My father died at 49.

I have yet to play Mille Bornes.

[Tinker]

Hey Marti,  Of course I had to Google Mille Bornes and found a French, Hall of Fame, board game.   Learn something new everyday.

I'm always fascinated by genealogy.   My mind immediately starts asking questions.  Divorce wasn't as common in the early 1900s as now and fathers rarely got custody of children back then.  I would love to find the story behind that.  Then WWII comes along and granddad goes away to fight and gets caught and spends time in a POW camp leaving your Dad with a stepmother.  Ooooh those letters are priceless.  I have 2 letters from Uncles, Dad's brothers, who were overseas during WWII, really to my Dad but addressed to me and written as if they really were writing to a baby girl. I look at them every once in a while, even now.  So much love.  They weren't POWs, one in the infantry and the other a fighter pilot. (who got shot down and broke his neck but survived.)

As for the ages,  so young to die.  My Dad died at 56, my Mom at 61. But both Uncles died at 95.  I remember my Dad actually fretted through his entire 55th year because that was the age his father died of Miner's Consumption.  Dad was so relieved to make it to 56, then half way through the year,  my athletic, fit Dad was downed by lung cancer.   His mother lived to 102, with body and brain in tact.   I have long outlived both parents but have a long way to go to catch up with 3 grandparents, 102, 97, and 98.

I just loved this poem, it brought back so many of my own memories and created new avenues of thought.  
 

~~Tink 

[dcmarti1]

So glad you enjoyed it, and I liked learning about your family, too. :)

 

[tonyv]

On 5/14/2019 at 10:34 AM, Tinker said:

My mind immediately starts asking questions.  Divorce wasn't as common in the early 1900s as now and fathers rarely got custody of children back then.  I would love to find the story behind that.

I don't really need to know the story, but I do love how the speaker expresses his own inquisitiveness:

On 5/12/2019 at 10:44 PM, dcmarti1 said:

My grandfather was divorced and received
sole custody of my father before WW2.
I have no idea what that really means,
but I think I know what it might mean.

To me, it seems like he's matter-of-fact about it. He thinks he knows why, but he can take it or leave it. If he really wanted to know, he could probably look into it and find out.

Tony

[Tinker]

I agree with you Tony, the speaker knows more or at least thinks he knows more than he is telling.   And I was not asking him why? or how?  I was just expressing my own curiosity sparked by what I read.

~~Judi

[dcmarti1]

On 5/19/2019 at 10:11 PM, tonyv said:

I don't really need to know the story, but I do love how the speaker expresses his own inquisitiveness:

To me, it seems like he's matter-of-fact about it. He thinks he knows why, but he can take it or leave it. If he really wanted to know, he could probably look into it and find out.

Tony

I "kinda, sorta" know, but I am not going to spend money on Ancestry.com or legal databases to REALLY know. I am just glad to be writing anything again.....even if it is darkly, nebulous crap.  😉

[tonyv]

4 hours ago, dcmarti1 said:

I "kinda, sorta" know, but I am not going to spend money on Ancestry.com or legal databases to REALLY know ...

As much as I would love to get a complete genetic profile, I would never knowingly send a DNA sample to one of these corporations. Can you imagine how many people are finding out about children they never knew they had and have the state looking for back child support, etc.?!? 😮

[Tinker]

Ha ha!  I actually had a DNA test done when I was on my 2nd round of cancer.  It was very expensive.   But the test was to see if I had a mutated gene that could have been passed on from an ancestor and which I could then have passed on to my son and ultimately to my grandchildren.   I did not have the mutated gene, so I got breast cancer all on my own without the help from any ancestors and thankfully haven't passed on any predisposed scary diseases to my heirs.   The test didn't tell me that I was the descendant of a great Celtic King or if I have blood other than what I'm already aware.   Since I have a grandfather who was a miner born in Australia I do have suspicions that I have a convict or two in my past lives.

PS... Marti, I'm glad you are writing again too.    ~~ Judi 

[dcmarti1]

1 hour ago, Tinker said:

Ha ha!  I actually had a DNA test done when I was on my 2nd round of cancer.  It was very expensive.   But the test was to see if I had a mutated gene that could have been passed on from an ancestor and which I could then have passed on to my son and ultimately to my grandchildren.   I did not have the mutated gene, so I got breast cancer all on my own without the help from any ancestors and thankfully haven't passed on any predisposed scary diseases to my heirs.   The test didn't tell me that I was the descendant of a great Celtic King or if I have blood other than what I'm already aware.   Since I have a grandfather who was a miner born in Australia I do have suspicions that I have a convict or two in my past lives.

PS... Marti, I'm glad you are writing again too.    ~~ Judi 

More like writing has me. 🙂

In that vein, yes, I am glad to finally have some creative work coming out. Thanks.