27 Comments

Oh my goodness. What a beautifully rendered portrait of those times … I feel like I have just walked out of a darkened theatre where I have been lost to all but the story. Thank you for sharing the portrait of you with your children. And pointing out your eldest. Somehow you found each other?

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Yes! His adopted Mum and I kept in touch so we did not lose each other for long. He was back in the fold as a teen!

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Such a well-written, heartfelt autobiography of your young, teenage years. Thank you, Cecilia!!

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Thank you, Pat! Have a gorgeous week!

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Wow! Such a deeply felt and evocatively written tale. I felt I was there with you every step, experiencing every moment of joy and pain with you. I am so glad you were able to reconnect with your son.

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Yes! He is firmly a part of the family. Both families!

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Just incredible! I read your blog and follow you on social media. I love that you bit that man. This is so beautiful and rich. What an unexpected gift for today.

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Hey Tammy! Thank you so much for reading and thank you so much for reading the blog too, the fellowship over there is one of a kind, as it is here actually - SubStack is developing into a lovely space.

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I love this story so much. The picture of beautiful you with all your gorgeous children is perfect. Thanks for this Christmas story. Sending love and hugs. 💖

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Thank you Darlene! - It is so seldom we get the whole family together - we love that photo- and I am so short compared with my big tall grown kids!

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Me too! But good things come in small packages. 💖

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Thank you Cecilia. (appropriately named for the patron of music.) My imagined sound of your rendering of Silent Night left me weeping; i had to stop snd wipe my eyes. Brilliant writing. So glad you got to bring your first son into your loving fold!

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Though I even sung in a band later I am sure that was the best my voice ever sounded. Everyone knew about Logan so when he did come back he fell into the family like a brick down a well. I don’t do secrets - so he was always openly loved and missed.

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Even though I know this story, it being shared here again at this time was just astounding and powerful and inspiring. You know that I love the farm stories, but these- highlighting the past- speak so deeply to who and what you are and believe now. These are the stories that fill me with so many emotions and such deep respect for you as a woman, a human, a mother, a writer, a farmer... these are the stories that resonate and will always bring me to tears. You are a stunning storyteller my friend and one of the strongest women I know.

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That is very kind Deb. And very sweet of you to say. We are the sum of our experiences for sure and a history like this demands to be shared - these old stories clamor to be shared sometimes.

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What a beautiful story. You are such a wonderful writer, I could picture everything as if I was there watching. Thanks you for sharing such a personal piece of you and the beautiful picture of you with your children.

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Thank you Lori! It was a pleasure to write! And though a difficult time for obvious reasons- I learnt a lot of good stuff that season.

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Beautiful writing!

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Thank you Lucy! Have a lovely week. I am gardening like crazy out here in Melbourne- gorgeous weather.

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Stunning piece. Congratulations on beautiful storytelling.

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Thank you! Every now and then it is a relief to break out! I hope you are having a great week!

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I live the life of Reilly atm. Touching wood. Who knows what tomorrow brings? 😎

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Indeed!!

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this is incredibly beautiful and sad and lovely, all in one. my heart aches for what you went through

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We are who we are because of our history - yes? A long time ago.

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A truly beautiful and heart warming story that touched my heart so deeply. What a gifted storyteller you are ! I look forward to reading more from you in the future!

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Celi - you touched my heart deeply with this telling. How amazing that the very hard parts of life can be containers of beauty. That they don’t need to be spun or recast away from the hurt and pain. Both/and, like life really is.

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