Younger granddaughter is staying tonight.
It is amazing to me that our children are not really interested of Dawn and my early life, yet our grandchildren are.
“Tell us a story, Papa. Tell us a story,” the grandchildren say.
Then as they sit, a story is told.
Sometimes they ask about my mother. What was she like? etc.etc. Today was one of them
That is when I have to go into make believe, because I know very, very little about her.
You see most people know the Dash of Life, yet know so little.
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The Dash of Life
A walk around any cemetery you find the same. Gravestones; some old, some not so. All have the same on them. The name, date of birth and date of death. Between those dates is the Dash of Life. The Dash of Life, the most important part of the person buried, yet very little, if anything, is known. What did the person do in life? The ups and down of life; tears of sadness, the tears of joy. Knowing of other births, other deaths. The daily life, birthdays, Christmases, a myriad of emotions. The Dash of Life now forgotten, just a date of birth and a date of death.
See. Here is one. Born 1924, died 1947, a young woman just 23 years of age. See also a baby is there also. A baby girl born and died not the same day, but three days before her mother passed to the other side. Did the mother die because of complications of the birth of the girl. Nobody knows except a few. The Dash of Life doesn’t tell us.
Those that know know the woman was born in the U.S.A.; Pennsylvania so it has been said. American born father Scottish born mother, two older sisters and a younger brother her immediate family. Nothing is known of her childhood. Those that knew never told. Those that didn’t never asked.
Whatever, her father died and her mother and children. left the U.S.A., their destination England. They settled in the county of Northumberland. Her two sisters and brother married locally. Their own stories are their own Dash of Life.
The Dash of Life of the young lady was coming to the end, though of course she did not know it. The Second World War began. Once again the Dash of Life is but a dash. Little is known of what she did in the war, but as the saying goes ‘She did her bit’. Sometime near the end of the war she met the love of her life. They married after the war ended. Just a local ceremony in a Registry Office. A child is expected; no it is twins.
It is said, a difficult birth. Difficult is an understatement. A girl is born then a boy. What was joy to the lady began to turn to despair. The girl died within two hours, the boy suffered a stroke and has a hole in the heart. He was not expected to live long. Twenty four hours passed, then forty eight the boy still lives. Then everything changes.
The story goes, the lady began choking. What caused it is unknown, but other patients began calling for a nurse to attend. The nurses were having a tea break and ignored the pleas for help. Eventually a nurse did attend after her tea break, but it was too late.
THE DASH OF LIFE of a twenty three year old. 1924 - 1947
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A story is told of a pretty American girl who was more beautiful as she grew older. Did well at school, wanting a better life. She even learned to fly aircraft at a local airfield. During the war she flew various kinds of aircraft to aerodromes around the U.K.; mainly the North of England and Southern Scotland.. By studying and hard work she achieved her ambition.
You see my dear you can achieve your dreams. Study at school. Achieve your goals. See where they take you?
