Heart's unique voice is heard when listening
This story is based on factual events and is the piece of the author's memoir that captures the preponderance of her life's journey. The events impacted by her aging parents' challenges prompted reviewing her memories of the family's epic history, including their immigration to the United States. In the process, she dared the truth by looking at what really was in "her heart". The story weaves in an out of more recent, heartrending events such as the loss of her beloved father and her mother's progressive dementia, as they elicit memories about World War II events, the family's refugee experience, and "coming to America". Sprinkled throughout the story, she describes the personal pain of a failed marriage, the loss of a son, and a failed career. Outweighing life's painful moments, the delights of her rich and joyful family life are her fortress. The self-discovery of the kind of soul-searching it takes in order to move on in life resonates unmistakably.