The Kids Are All Right

I think it’s interesting how my sister and I can vividly remember the exact same event completely differently. How could we both have such strong memories of the same thing, but our memories are not the same? It frightens me a bit because it makes me question my own history, my own mind.
The Kids Are All Right is a riches to rags story written by the four Welch children who each remember their life together slightly differently. It is well-written and heartfelt. Sadly, the youngest, Diana, is the child with whom I felt the most connection and her poor little childhood was simply ... sad.
I like memoirs.
I like reading real stories written by real people.
This book makes us realize we all have a story to tell and nothing is exactly as it seems. The overwhelming feeling behind their stories is loneliness, sadness, love and family. I cried a lot while reading it.
It is amazing what children of all ages will endure and strive to achieve on their own ... their interpretations of the world around them. How much adults can hurt them and heal them.
I feel sad when I think how quickly children have to grow up. My friend, Brook, once said about the innocence of children, “Why do they have to grow up and become us?”
Why, indeed?
Luckily, in this case, The Kids Are All Right.
Thank you, Amanda, Liz, Dan and Diana Welch, for sharing your story.