Marilyn's Musings

Some people are lucky to spend their whole life in the village or town or country where they were born. They’re surrounded by relatives and friends they’ve known since childhood. These people have deep roots. I believe they are very rich. My life has been made of a different cloth with hues of the rainbow. It’s been about change and adaptation. I was born in Helsinki, Finland during the Finno-Russian winter war. When I was very small, my mother used to read to me. She helped me form words. As she was done reading  “A Thousand and One Nights” my passion for literature was born. From then on, I read everything with the printed word: matchboxes, newspapers, pamphlet and books, of course. I was no more than six years old when my father obtained a library card for me. Believe me, that was one of the happiest days of my childhood. To this day, I read at least three books a week. In school, I always had high grades in composition, and wanted to be a journalist, but my parents h...

Do not read if you expect to be entertained. This past week a young woman who was only in her late thirties and I counted as a friend passed away from complications due to alcoholism. She was addicted to Vodka. She had five children, the last born a little over a year ago. Her eldest daughter, who is grown and living on her own, has been caring for the youngest one ever since she was born because of the mother’s illness. And alcoholism is an illness as well as an addiction. I know this young woman’s mom, her husband (who is an alcoholic too and spends a lot of time in jail for drunk driving), and the children. The eldest son has managed to find other places to live throughout his high school days, places with kindhearted souls who were willing to pay for all his needs including what it took to be on the football team. He’s turned out to be a wonderful young man, has a job with a place to stay–again thanks to kindhearted souls. Another daughter is married now and living in another state...