Here I am.

It ran in my family. My Father, a wonderful man, was diagnosed as manic depressive. I came late in my parents life & knew he was a quiet man, preferred flowers to people, he was in WW ll & looking back, remembering the stories he told, think he had PTSD. It was on both sides. My Mother had 2 daughters by her 1st husband (he met an untimely death). My Mother was Irish and also lived in Brooklyn. My Father was still in the Navy when they met. They married, had two daughters, in Brooklyn, then moved to GA. My Father was born in jacksonville, FL & had family & property in GA. My Mother was not accepted and was very isolated. Then the surprise – me. I don't remember my parents having much of a relationship. My Mother yelled a lot & I never knew what would set her off. I remember one step sister who would visit with her husband & children & she always had a suitcase filled with prescription bottles. My oldest step-sister's husband was in the Navy. Their 1st child, Patrick, was found hanging from a tree when he was 7 years old. I do remember her beating him & didn't understand why she wasn't stopped. Her husband came home because of patrick's death and my step-sister, who was 9 months pregnant, had a baby that was stillborn. I remember she was institutionalized but don't remember how long. They also had a son, younger than Patrick, and he came to live with us for over a year. My step-sister went overseas with her husband & lived on a base in Spain. In the meantime, my sister, next in age to me, developed Rhumatic Fever and it left her weak & with a heart murmer. Our oldest sister never was happy. It shows in childhood pictures. She hated our middle sister , Mother & didn't care for me, too much. off & on, she would live with our oldest step-sister & her family, once they were stationed in the states. I can't write any more at this time.