45 year old picture found

Lady Lee

When I was young (pre JW and in 1960) my mother had a portrait taken of the 4 kids. Shortly after it was sent to my father's mother (whom we had never met) and the portrait was never seen again.

Since then we had a group picture taken when I was 18 (the week before I got married in 1970). That was the last time we were together.

Between the portrait and the 1970 picture there are no pictures of all of us together. We have never been all in one place at one time since 1970. During those 10 years we all lived in the same house for only 3 years. After my parents separated and the kids were split up. We were together for 2 years after the portrait - apart for 3 years and together for one more. After I was 13 we were never together except for the visit in 1970 and that was only for about an hour or so.

After my father died I got in contact with one of his sisters who told me about the portrait and she offered to send it to me.

I received it today and ... WOW... how awesome to see this. I had to clean it up a bit and remove the scratches but wow

got my forty homey?

Its nice looking at old pictures, reminds one of a time of innocence. Are the two boys in the same shirts twins?

Big Tex

That is so cool LL! That picture must be so precious to you. I felt the same way when I discovered some childhood pictures I had never seen.

How do you feel?

Lady Lee

thanks got my no they are actually 2 years apart in age but as they got older many people thought they were twins - just one a big bigger than the other.

I remember at the book study we had in our home one would leave the room and the other would come in and people would think they were talking to the same kid. They are 4 and 2 here. The older boy is 6 and I am almost 8.

The year we were all together was the year my mother started studying with the JWs.

Then the oldest boy and I left (he went back to our father and I went into foster care). When I went back to live with my mother when I was 16 I remember going to the summer convention with the 2 younger boys with their arms in casts - one left arm and the other his right arm. I tell ya - that really confused people.

Lady Lee

Hi BT How do I feel?

Hmmmm very mixed. It is awesome to see it again. I feel sad that we were so scattered and didn't grow up together. I suffered terrible home-sickness from being away from them.

Even at this point there was a lot of physical abuse and emotional terrorism going on in the house. The police were frequently called to our home to break up fights between my parents. At this point too I had a lot of responsibility over the kids - taking care of them.

Damn BT this is bringing back a lot of nasty memories of that time. Those smiles aren't real even though the writing on the back says the picture looks like we really are..

The sexual abuse started very soon after this but this was not a happy home by any means.

Big Tex

Those smiles aren't real even though the writing on the back says the picture looks like we really are

I was wondering. I saw the look in each child's eyes, and I knew.

I don't mean to bring you down any, and forgive me if I am overstepping, but I got a pang in my gut when I saw it. Those are good kids, and I hurt for them. They're trying hard, but they're in a no win situation.

That's what I see.

xjw_b12

Lady Lee. Don't dwell on the negative. From an outsiders perspective, it is a beautiful picture, the smiles genuine. A snapshot of a happy moment, frozen forever in time.

Lady Lee

It's OK BT I would have gotten to those feelings anyways. And it does help to have an objective eye looking at the picture.

There is one more child in the family but we have different fathers. I didn't even know about her until she was over a year old and I went to live with my mother.

Every one of us was sexually abused eventually. And we all lived the terror of living with parents who were out of control.

I spent the most time away from my mother and maybe that is part of what makes me so different than the others now. Their lives are all spinning out of control although the youngest boy here is doing much better in the last few years.

Lady Lee

Thanks xjw - yes a moment forzen in time.

I have sent the picture by email to the brown-haired boy and the littlest one. I don't know where the third one is and haven't spoken to him in about 20 years

Singing Man

I am convinced that all the hurtful crap in this life will be rectified one day, so we should all rest easy. Remeber "time keeps on slipping slipping into the future..."

45 year old picture found

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