February 18, 2012
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Family Secrets
This afternoon I was watching Apollo 13 with my Mother and Brother when we(my Mother and I) started talking about family history. During the course of this conversation I learned that my grandfather had two other sisters that I knew nothing about. I knew he had one sister because she’s at all the family gatherings and I know her quite well(she’s a major trekkie). But until today I had no clue he had two other sisters. The story behind one of them left me quite shocked that something that terrible had happened in my family’s history. I won’t say what it was, but let’s just say it was treated very differently in the old-time days. Laws are on the books now that weren’t back then that would have helped her.
But the point of my post is this: I learned something brand new about my family today that has me viewing my family ancestry in a different light.
Have you ever had a momemnt like this that just made you sit back and say, “Wow, I didn’t know something like that had happened in my past”?
Comments (25)
I’m curious to know your family’s story but I respect your privacy. I’ve had similiar “OMG” moments too, like when I found out just how many times my mother’s been married, and the absolute insanity of having over 14 half brothers and sisters from my dad’s frolicking about! I don’t have any brothers or sisters, but 14 halfsies that I’ve heard about. I’ve become close with only one, the second youngest who’s in his late 20′s. The eldest is in her late 40′s!
It’s just crazy to know there’s parts of me running around about their lives who probably have no idea the rest of us exist.
@specialxplaces - Wow…..your Dad sounds like he was quite the wild guy. 14 halfsies….that’s a lot. I can’t imagine what it’s like knowing there are blood relations who know nothing about you….
@Shadowrunner81 - I’ve met some, who’ve told me of others, and so on.. I think some of them just don’t WANT to be found either. He was definitely kind of a slut
… it’s insane because I’d always wanted siblings, then I learned I had just a buttload of them.
yes, my family has been through Hell and back. Like, everyone in caskets and extreme poverty/ suffering that made them wiser. Then every time they get money, and they seem to be good at this, someone steals it. Everyone but me have exceptionally high IQs.
@Colorsofthenight - Hey don’t sell yourself short. You wrote a book. That takes intelligence and especially since it was done in a matter of days! Bipolar or not….that’s an accomplishment few can match.
@Shadowrunner81 - no one will even read it. I’m going to have to self-publish.
Fascinating post! When we named our daughter Ella, we had both sides of our family suddenly remember that it’s a family name…lol. Apparently both my husband and i had great-great Aunt Ella’s that we didn’t know we had!
@ShamrockLover - So both sides of the family will now love your daughter that much more!
Also, excellent Emerson quote at your header. One of my favs.
I didn’t find out that my maternal grandparents were actually my great aunt and uncle until I was 18. They adopted my mom and her siblings for reasons that make sense now, but it was still a shocker.
I’m convinced we have family to show us that we can love anyone…if we can love them.
@AgainstTheWind1 - ”I’m convinced we have family to show us that we can love anyone…if we can love them.” I hear you on that. Being the black sheep actually lets me see that those who find it within themselves to love me can love anyone. Glad you like the quote.
Great post! My family shocks me all the time with what they do today, I don’t think I want to dig!
I think I’ve shocked more people by saying what my past was. They all believed in the “blue stars in the windows” back when I was a kid in the 80′s. Noone still wants to hear the horrors of what went on beyond closed doors.
Yeah, there have definitely been things I’ve found out about my family that has shocked me.
I was in my teens when I learned that my mom and her sister have different fathers. Each their own. And then I heard that my grandfather’s lethal accident was in fact suicide. Oh and in my early twenties I found out the real reason behind my parents’ divorce.
@BoulderChristina - I don’t believe there are any cookie-cutter families so there’s probably one or two shocking revelations to be found in any family.
@hesacontradiction - I don’t know you all that well so I won’t dig(as BoulderChristina put it).
@Shining_Garnet - I’ve read a few of your posts. I think it sounds like you have an awesome family background.
@Miststueck - It sounds like you have a very interesting story to tell. Not that I’m asking you to tell it, I’m just saying.
There was a particular story my grandmother always brought up at Thanksgiving and Christmas but her sons always shut her up before I could hear the details. One day she got away with telling me everything, and my uncle and dad got really mad that I was told the story.
Back then it was kind of a scandal whenever you had kids when you were young.. and my grandmother wanted to adopt the child that someone in the family ended up giving for adoption.
My grandmother kind of never got over the fact that the daughter came back and met her biological parents.
It’s bizarre what you learn about your family as you grow up.
Now you’ve got me really curious as to what it was that happened!
You should do your family tree…it’s really fun and addictive and you learn soooo much!
@crashthedr3am - That’s quite a grandmother there. That does sound like one of those things that would be incredibly hard to get over.
@seladore - Bizarre is right. Welcome to the site.
@NightCometh - On my mother’s side there is an entire family history book going way back that ends at my uncle(my mother’s youngest brother). It’s published and everything though I’ve never seen it.
Wow! Yeah I have tried that 3 times. And just when I think that now I finally knows everything, I get some new informations.. But sometimes I also think it’s quite awesome to hear things about your own family
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@Be_happy_Be_you - I would term it ‘enlightening’ in my case. Yeah it’s awesome to learn more about the family….but some stuff just makes you shiver.
Yeah sorry
English is not my native language 
. – Yes thats true 
@Be_happy_Be_you - That’s okay. Love the screenname.
Haha
. - Thank you very much 
!