Scars: Discover had this single-word prompt recommended for daily writing exercise. Who does not have some kind of mark (internal & external) that effects what you think, feel and respond to the world(s) we inhabit??

What do mine look like? The oldest scar that still effects me is having my family separated and my brothers and sisters placed by Catholic Charities into fosterage. That occurrence amounted to a psychological split.  My youngest sister spoke of ‘her Mom’ when we were finally reunited years later.  There were ten children: the five oldest raised one way and the five youngest another. We don’t and can’t perfectly recall the entire family’s trauma, but we share that same scar. Each sees that time in their own way. Some of us are not as close as others, but that is a legacy of that time, too.

One thing that I am grateful for: we may not agree with each others’ lifestyles but we care and love each other.  That is why no matter how long between face-to-face visits may be, it seems like only ‘the other day’ since we were together.

Just as a frame of reference for how long a ‘scar’ can impact a person, this all happened in the summer of 1965.  I was just seventeen years old.

Thanks for stopping by!! Sue O’Neill