"Little Altars Everywhere" by Rosemary Wells, and family dysfunction

            I just finished Rosemary Wells’ first novel, less famous than “YaYa Sisterhood,” but similarly engaging, evocative, thought-provoking. Once again I’m struck by a book’s ability to illuminate, even reconcile, the coexistence of love and abuse. What a tangle it all is, the world of family dynamics, and what an overflow of gratitude I feel to have landed in a family whose dysfunctions were relatively mild, overshadowed by reason and compassion.
            I visited the Hill Garden today, a collection family memorials set in a subtly cultivated woodsy greenery. Even in death, my family gives me unassuming loveliness, peace under the gentle whoosh of wind in the treetops. Mom, Dad, Aunt Weezy, my grandparents, aunts and uncles – all offer quiet welcome to dogs and people who happen by. Hi guys. I love you. Everything’s going okay.
           
My 60th year in 60,000 words
Day 304: 134 words, TOTAL = 50,020; 9,980 remaining