They were never intended for our eyes.
They were evidence. Family secrets. A life ruined.
Sue’s Photo Challenge
But there they were. The telltale photos.
Glued onto yellowing pages. Hidden at the bottom of the chest.
Beneath embroidered lace, sterling silver platters.
Two leather-bound albums. Both smelled of patchouli, dust and despair.
On every page, there was someone missing. He had taken the scissors and carefully cut out his face from every family photo.
It was to foretell his future.
Removed from family. Removed from life.
He just gave up.
He died alone.
My grandfather.
The chest resides in my living room.
vanbytheriver 
Dark family secrets…. good take, Van!
Thanks, Erika. I sometimes wish it were fiction. But, it was our legacy. 💔
Oh, I am sorry, I wasn’t sure actually if it was fiction or not. But I should have guessed from the last two lines. This is very sad. But whatever he did or was, is not you or any other member of your family. I hope it is not a shadow hanging over your family.
It is something we have all worked through in our own way. Thanks for your kindness, Erika. 💕
Send you a warm embrace, Van 💖
OH! So it’s real! Many times I am confused as to if it’s real or not with the others!
It’s true enough, it is hard to tell. 💘
What a tragic story. Don’t you wonder what allows a mind to follow a path such as this all the way to the end of life?
All my life, Doc. All my life.💔 They called it “the melancholy” in the 1930’s. He died in an institution where he spent almost 2 decades. His family, forever changed. Thanks.
I enjoyed your take on it. Too many secrets in that chest, and what he sad life he led.
Thanks, Jacqueline. I’ve addressed it a few times, but some time I’ll write from what I believe was my father’s point of view. He lost this man, his father, at a very young age.
That’s a heartrending tale, Van.
It is short, poignant, but when I saw your prompt, it came out of me in about 5 minutes time. It’s my favorite way to write. Thanks for the inspiration, Sue. 💕
It hit home with its own truth, Van ❤
Just so incredibly sad… Thanks for telling such a poignant story in such few words. You’re a real poet Van!
Interesting you mention that, I thought of doing it as a poem. But prose spoke to me more quickly. Thanks, AGMA. ❤️
Wow, so few words and so much power in them. Sad, truly sad.
This one hit home. Thanks, Deb. 💘
Amazing piece of writing…simply heartbreaking.
Thank you, Tanya. 💖
Sorry to learn of such a tragic thing in your family. Straight to the heart, Van. xo
Thanks for you kind comment. 💖
How very sad, Van.
💔
How very sad, Van. I’m so sorry.
Some families deal with heart disease, diabetes, addiction. We had depression, in almost all forms. Thanks, George. 💘
That gave me the chills, Van. What an act of despair – to erase oneself. Beautifully told, but so terribly sad.
We didn’t understand those mutilated photos as children. By the time we found out, someone had carefully removed them from the albums. Lots of blank pages, lots of sad stories. Thanks, Diana. 💕
Desperate
Exactly.
My goodness, I so often think stuff like this is only in books or in the movies. Such a sad read, Van.
Real life…fiction does not always compare. Thanks, Hugh. 💕
We can choose our friends, but have to live with our families.. So many choose this lonely path.. Sorry they too have been within your family..
Love and warm thoughts.. Enjoy your weekend Van and thank you for your lovely visit xxx
The bank foreclosed on his farm, his immigrant dreams. He lost his fortune, his home, his mind, in that order. Thanks for your kind thoughts, Sue.
awww so sorry to hear that…that is hard for anyone… My own Mothers isolation was of her own making.. xx so I related..
I’m sorry, Sue. There are just so many sad family stories out there. 💔
You expressed this sad story in such a moving and powerful way. I’m sorry for your family’s heartache. 💛
We all learned a lot in the process, and in coming to terms with the tragedy. Thanks so much, Tonya. 💘
Who do you think cut hm out? This is so sad.
He lost his home, his farm. He felt he had failed his family. He did it himself. That’s the saddest part of all. Within a year, he was institutionalized. He never came home. 💔
Oh my gosh. How sad.
This just made my heart hurt, Van. Every family has their stories, don’t they? The people who don’t survive the failure, the depression… That he had the wherewithal to physically cut himself out of the family just makes me want to bawl. You gave a very succinct snapshot here. I would love to read more about him. xo
At the risk of “overshare”, I will write more about him soon, or at least what I was told. My father never wanted to discuss him, and we asked often. He died when I was a baby. Thanks for your interest, Mandy. Just a little bit of the story here. https://vanbytheriver.wordpress.com/2016/01/03/the-farmhouse/
I missed that story so thank you for giving me the link, Van. I am always interested in everyone’s life stories. I learn so much about the human condition. Yes, please write more.
Will do. Thanks for reading it. 💕
🙂
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Thanks, Sue. That photo was quite a trigger. 💕
What an awfully damaging situation. Inevitably one feels for him in his pain but my sympathies probably lie more with the innocent members of his family impacted by his illness who could but watch the spiral down.
It has reverberated for generations. There is more to be told. Thanks, Geoff. 💘
What a sad story. When I hear something like this, though—I wonder. Yes the ending is sad, but did it only come after a long and even valiant battle against whatever darkness eventually won? How long did he fight against those forces, perhaps even long enough to give life to children? Maybe he was, in some way, a hero who just eventually fought and lost one battle too many?
I’m so sorry that your legacy is dark, and you may never know the truth. But I’d like to believe that there was hope at some point in his life, and that the existence of his children—and his grandchildren—is the result of that.
A really great observation, Barb. My father was 8 when it happened, and refused to talk about it all. I believe he had the dream of all immigrants, realized for about 10 years before he lost it all, in his view. He had a devoted wife and 2 beautiful children, but the financial blow took him down. I wonder about the demons he might have battled early in life. Thanks. 💘
A deeply moving piece. My thanks Sue Vincent for pointing me this way.
Thank you so kindly, Julian, for your words and visit. ❤️
beautifully written!
💖 Thanks, Robert.
Very touching Van! This is sad and lovely as well
Thank you, Lynn. 💖
Wonderful piece of furniture. So many places old trunks can be used. I have a large one full of quilts many made in late 1800’s.
Take care. I’m having a difficult time and throwing more pain pills doesn’t help your cognitive ability.
Hugs
M
I’ll bet the quilts are beautiful. Mine still houses a feather bed from the 1920’s. ☺
Oh, what a sad story. Did you know why he chose that life?
He was a few hundred $’s from owning his farm, his immigrant dream, when the bank foreclosed during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. He lost the farm, moved to city/steelworker’s home, lost that job. Deep depression, committed to state mental institute, died there. Hard to imagine it was a choice, he just lost hope and gave up on his family, his life.
That is truly heartbreaking.
That’s so sad. 😦 I suppose you’ll never know what exactly prompted that.
Yep. My father was only 8. I know he had a very bad opinion of his father, but I’m not sure how much his mother communicated at the time. It left them devastated, but with major life lessons. Thanks, Joey.
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My grandmother’s photos are missing her face also. So sad.
I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure there is a story there. Have you ever shared that ?
I’ve written a little about it but there is a huge story there that I’ve hesitated to take on. Maybe someday.
I understand. I walk that line quite a bit myself.
chilling! I like it.
Thanks for the visit and comment, Queen. ☺