My mother had a miscarriage before my brother was born. My parents have never spoken to me about it but my sister told me. I guess it’s one of the reasons why my mother has always been so protective of us, especially those of us born afterwards.
I was diagnosed with autism very late in life, I suspect my father had a vague idea that I was not “normal”, we never got on. I don’t think autism was a thing when I was young. It has never been a problem for me and I was quite surprised to say the least.
I suppose tragic incidents like those are so painful a mother sees no reason to relate that loss and grief to her children.
Maybe when the children are adults there might be a possibility but to what end?
The “Estate” had a lot of kids that nowadays would have qualified for the Autistic label, that was a problem for a lot of other folks.
Mum told me when I was in my forties that she had had an affair whilst we lived abroad. The cine film dad used to show us from our childhood days often came out on reunions and on the day she told me she pointed to a handsome young soldier on parade . I laughed but couldn’t immagine this 'old plump mother ’ once being young beautiful and sexy . We found a photo after she died of a gorgeous young soldier which had been kept forever in a box . She had her memories bless her .
Years later one sibling told us he didn’t think he was dads child , we’ve always made fun of this and often wondered did mum have other boyfriends. I like to hope she had her fun times as life was difficult married to our father .
This paragraph almost mirrors my family situation.
Five children, the four eldest had mums curly hair. The fifth child had very straight hair.
Mum had met someone who gave her love and affection. She and my father were still married.
They divorced and my mother moved away with her lover and they married.
My brother and me had the conversation - Do we think that mums lover is your father.
It appeared highly likely.
My father gave my mother no love or affection, he was a functioning alcoholic.
It was almost as if mum was simply there for him to use when the urge arose.
Seven children over 9 years with two dying. Still born or during birth I do not know.
My father was dead by the time I was 5 and left with an incompetent war damaged mother, my paternal grandparents took me in and cared for me until I left home to get married.
I knew we had some basic Scottish roots, but being Jews very little was ever mentioned. Just after my Nan’s death, I discovered I had relations (Scottish Jews) up around Portobello, when a law firm in Edinburgh wrote to me after tracing me.
Not long after that, we fostered a distant related new born girl and then adopted her.
If only I had known my full family history while I was growing up, I’m sure I would have wished to contact them all and stay regularly in touch as I am now.
All this debauchery, I don’t know, the erring protagonists always seem to find some justification!!!
I have no idea they never told me
I don`t know of any,but they are not with us any longer,so too late to find out anything.
LD there is story that the lost tribe of Isreal the 13th tribe that got lost ended up in Scotland…
i would be proud were it true, i have always felt an afinity with Isreal even tho a family friend was killed in Palestine… SGt John Penman, a lovely guy…
Tracing right back, my line is from one of the twelve, Levi, and indeed was the family surname until they arrived in Scotland and the due to external pressures and some intermarriage, adopted the surname MacInisker which served until they split and my division moved south to London and then changed their surname again to something more English.
I never found out if mum and dad kept any secrets from me .
But I kept secrets from them
Best kept secrets were hiding presents at Christmas time.
Happy days!
I think we all keep - kept our secrets. No need to dob ourselves in.
Christmas time as a child was wonderful. Waking up to so many presents under the tree.
You will RIP, if all tings are equal.
That they didn’t want me.
That is sad. Were they good parents?
They were Aliens
That would explain a lot