I stopped by my parents home this evening to say bye to my dad because he is going on a trip. I thought I would sit and drink a glass of water and talk to my parents for a little while.
Because he is going to WV for his high school reunion our discussion of course turned to the past, mom and dad's childhood, and how life was in the depression era.
I love these discussions but had no idea that I would be finding out something that I may have been told but do not remember.
The setting was Majestic KY. My dad moved into a coal camp at the age of 1 and he soon found his BFF...his best friend from the time he was 1 yr old who was around the same age.
His name was Billy. There wasn't anything he and Billy wouldn't do, or try. No matter how dangerous or scary. Through him he met my mom. See Billy had a beautiful cousin named Wanda.
To Wanda, Billy was the deepest friend, her favorite cousin and her confidant. There was no other cousin with whom she felt closer. So you see the bond....the common denominator.
Billy introduced his best friend to his best cousin and sparks flew.
Mom and Dad moved on and fell in love and got married.
Billy must have done the same but you see he didn't have a very easy life. His parents divorced, his mother died, and I am not sure what happened to his wife but she left him a daughter. And he became hopeless.
Signs of this were coming out but back then no one paid attention. When a person spoke often about dieing, it just was ignored.
And when that person completely loses hope...the results are hidden under the rug. There was no internet, and news programs didn't dwell on bad things that happened in little towns in rural KY and WV.
In the year I was born, 1961, my dad's best friend and my moms best cousin, kissed his 12 year old daughter on the cheek and told her there was something wonderful to look at out the window. There was not....but he knew he wasn't going to make it through another day and didn't have the heart to leave her there alone.
He took himself and his daughters life.....and left me to be born into a house of complete mourning. I wonder if my parents...whose hearts were shattered....thought to hold and hug their little girl. I mourn for that little girl but more for my parents.
1 comment:
Wow.
Such sorrow and pain. The whole world is filled with it.
I don't know how the Lord stands all that He knows. We know so little of the pain that is going on all around us right at this moment - and even one story like this shocks us into speechlessness.
He sees all of it. Every single thing. His patience and love know no bounds as He waits yet a little longer to finish it all.
We'll go Home one day. I'll be glad when all this pain is over.
Praying for your heart and the wounds it recovers from. You are a beautiful and amazing woman.
~Faith
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