I
was introduced to my new family on Christmas Eve 1950. What a gift
for all of us! I no longer lived in confinement, wondering where
the next meal would come from, looking out a window and wishing
for a better life. The Russell family had money, lots of money,
lots of food, and most of all, lots of love. I went from rags to
riches.
The picture below is of my adopted mother, Ruth
my adopted brother Bob and myself. Mother (as
I i learned to call her) patiently taught me social graces, how
to eat, how to develop good personal habits, how to curtsey for
her guests, how to chew my food, how to laugh, and how to feel
secure and less afraid of being sent back to Germany. Fear of
abandonment was never far away, but it seemed to subside with
this family.
I became the daughter she always wanted and she
became the mother I always wanted. We were close for a long time
until I reached my teens.
Unfortunately, as I grew older and my environment
changed, my mother and I grew apart. It became evident that we
had major differences.
She never understood me, never understood my
dreams, my goals, not even my at-home business. She died never
accepting me. And at the same time, I knew she always loved me.
She was a good person - honest to a fault, religious, caring,
and funny at times.
She died of
Alzheimers Disease several years ago. Thank you Ruth for being
who you were and what you gave me.
