“Why keep writing?” is a question I’ve received from more than one friend and fellow blogger. It’s a good question, and one that deserves an answer. But rather than using my own words, I wanted to turn to friend Catherine Thiemann’s wonderful blog, Survivors Awaken the Church.” In it, she has a great post, “Why We Tell Our Stories,” found here.
Of course, my story isn’t one of sexual abuse. But the trauma is very real, both for me and for family members. And I empathize with Catherine when she recounts how her bishop wants her to quit telling her story. Been there, done that. But she and I both need to do what we need to do to heal; that’s also the case for my mom and other members of our family. Meanwhile, the ill-informed with connections to the parish continue to try to minimize our experiences, including claiming that I am somehow behind the retelling by other family members of our story, and suggesting that it is wrong to tell our story publicly.
Speaking of mom, several have asked how she is doing. The answer is not well. Her mother, my grandmother, is now in hospice. Mom clearly is moving into the final stages of emphysema, and it’s clear we don’t have much longer together. My hope is to get out to see her in early March; I am not sure she will still be with me when Easter gets here.