My Life Remembered: A Podcast with Rev. Jack Elliott
Episode #2 "The Letter"
The letter was tucked away inside her favorite bible. It was as if the letter served as a bookmark for a favorite verse, so my eyes scanned the pages to see which verse of the Gospel according to Matthew has spoken to her.
Nothing was jumping out. Nothing had been underlined. There were no notes in the margins. No indications what so ever that something on these pages spoke to her.
Then, as I paced the letter back into the sacred place it had lived, untouched, for years, I notice it was a letter addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Elliott, at 417 S. Meridian Street, Winchester Indiana. The return address was from the same address. The letter was from my 12 year old brother, to our parents.
He was begging them not to get a divorce until he reached the age of 18. He offered that if they could just stay together until then, he would adopt me and raise me. Then they could go on with their lives, but I would be safe with him. From my earliest breath, I never doubted that I was adored by my older brother.
My birth father left us shortly after my birth. I have often been asked if I felt abandon by my father's departure. I never did. My brother filled the gap. For those first five years, he was my everything. My protector, my advocate, my hero. Then he left for college. Then, I felt abandoned. I'd long for his "coming home" at Thanksgiving or Christmas. But when he came home, he had changed. All for good reasons, but it hurt and set a "belief" in to play. Men leave me.
Enjoy Episode #2 - The Letter
