From the monthly archives:

March 2011

Final Reflections

by Karel on March 28, 2011

Final Reflections – My mother, Dolores, married my father in Manila on Christmas Day and returned to the United States where she eventually reunited with her husband. Her family expanded by five children that included two sets of twins eighteen months apart in age. With no other option, Dolores continued to work, first in a [...]

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1940 – my mother, Dolores, was accepted…

by Karel on March 21, 2011 · 1 comment

1940 – my mother, Dolores, was accepted by Michael Reece Hospital in Chicago as a student. The nursing program pushed students to their physical limit by having them work twelve-hour days, every day, for three years. She suffered through routine hand and nail checks, hairstyle review, and weekly weigh-ins to expel any pregnant students. Dolores [...]

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I can’t seem to let loose of generational perspective.

by Karel on March 14, 2011 · 1 comment

I can’t seem to let loose of generational perspective. My mother shared that at age fifteen, her seventh brother, George, was born with a heart condition. He cried incessantly, especially at night while Dolores cradled the infant in her arms. She couldn’t rest; afraid she might roll over the baby in her sleep. At the [...]

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I wonder if, as an infant, I cried a lot in frustration…

by Karel on March 7, 2011

I wonder if, as an infant, I cried a lot in frustration because I’m an individual who doesn’t define myself by how others view me. Being female is the physical aspect of my being, but it isn’t what I am in my entirety. I believe the essence of who we are is revealed through our [...]

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