Monthly Archives: April 2013

The O’Neill’s and McAdams are well known in our family for their conspicuous absence, both physically and verbally.  When my brother Stephen and I were growing up we were told story after story ,by our father, of Greece, of the family, of my fathers life there, etc. My Mother never spoke of her family.  At some point in my childhood I asked my Mother about her family.  I don’t remember the first time, but I remember what she said. Always the same.  Her parents had died in the influenza epidemic of 1917.  She was an orphan.  For a long time I had the impression that she was a complete orphan, no family at all.  Continue reading →