This story talks about a woman who was born and raised in Honduras and at an early age dedicated herself to working hard and getting an education. She worked for 35 years with children who had mental disabilities. After her retirement she became depressed and lonely and decided to move to the States where she settled in Springfield, MA with her daughter. She had a hard time meeting people because she spoke no English. She decided to find a community with more Hispanics and came across a church where they spoke Spanish.
My grandmother, Olive Jane Poe Whitmore, was my caretaker at the start of my life. I was her caretaker at the end of her life. This is the story of our time together, and my tribute to her.
My grandfather lived in a nursing home for the last years of his life. I put this story together to express my frustration and sadness about the situation, and to document what was left of his memories.
In this story, created in a CDS hands-on three day community workshop, Joan reflects on the ways in which her youthful experience with scoliosis impacted the formation of her adult identity. She traces her years wearing a brace and hiding the shape of her back, and finally shares the strangeness – and sense of rebirth -- of having surgery much later in life, to correct the curvature in her spine.
