The house Elle & George bought just before I turned three.
When my mother Elle tried to make things work out with George they returned to live with George’s parents Anna and George Sr. Elle worked during the day so Anna took care of me while tending to her household duties and helping my grandfather run the grocery store. My mother had tried to breast feed ne but it didn’t last long when she became so ill. I commend her for trying but wish I had been able to continue with the more natural way of feeding. I breast fed all my children while making every effort to eat well for their nutrition’s sake. I believe it significantly contributed to their health and well being. I wanted to do the very best for my children in every way I possibly could.
George decided he wanted to return to school and study art so Elle supported him in his ambition because he was a gifted artist. I remember watching him paint and draw. He mostly did oil paintings. When Elle discovered that George wasn’t faithful in either his work or studies with college she became increasingly frustrated and moved out again on her own with me.
George pleaded with Elle to get back together and finally she told him that she would do so only if they bought a house of their own. She wanted no more moving from apartment to apartment or back with his parents. George agreed and they bought a row house in the city. They moved in and got the place mostly ready and brought me from staying with my grandmother Mildred on Christmas Eve not long before my third birthday. It isn’t easy to bring back memories from our earliest years but I do recall being there in that house on that Christmas Eve. There were no curtain son the windows yet and my mom had draped some sheets on the front windows.
I was unaware of all the drama between Elle and George. I do however remember on that one Christmas Eve I felt really happy about both of them being there- all of us together. I can still feel those indescribable feelings of security, comfort, stability, strength and much more happening inside me with both of them present in my life and present together. I believe all children benefit more than we can know from having both parents with them and together. The value of this should never be diminished. It cannot always be this way in our broken world but it is certainly the ideal best for any child and they way we were designed to grow in families. That was a happy Christmas for me as a very little girl.
Kitchen in that first house- with a gas stove!
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