As a mother, watching my daughter suffer through all her back pain this past week has been hard. She has endured so much in her life and it seems it never quits. We never want our children to suffer, but shes as tough as they come when it comes to survival. A lot like her Grandma Sala, who died before Kathy was two. Her name was Aneska Chadraba. Born near Prague, Czechoslovakia; one of four daughters of a well-to-do landowner, and she came to America by ship ONLY to visit cousins who had already immigrated to the States to begin a new life. Their father offered the trip to all four of his girls, but Aneska (Agnes) was the only one brave enough to come. So she arrives in Houston by ship, travels north by coach and wagon to Oklahoma territory, to a little town called Prague. Yes, it had been settled mostly by Czech immigrants whod name it for the capital of their home country. Her return ticket home was an open one; good for two years, and she could return without booking new passage at anytime during that period. She stayed in the homes of first one cousin and then another, as more than a year passed. Then just as she was getting ready to return home, war broke out in Europe. It became known as World War I, but for Aneska it was a nightmare. Passenger ships no longer sailed the seas, and mail between America and Europe almost ceased. AND then; devastation. Her ship ticket expired. Aneska was stranded. Almost in exile. The cousins who had welcomed her had little, and the war made it hard on everyone and all of a sudden she had no place to live and no money. And so Aneska... who had never worked a day in her life because of her fathers status, went to work as a cook for the Blumenthal family; the people who had the dry goods store, and Aneska couldt boil water. Mrs. Blumenthal taught her how to cook and Aneska survived the war without knowing one thing of what was happening to her family. By the time the war was over, she had married an American, birthed and lost her first child; a baby boy, to whooping cough. He died in her arms as she was running through a blizzard for help. She wrote a letter home to tell of her situation and learned that all of her sisters were still living, although some of the family had been scattered by the war. It was a bittersweet letter. She had never intended to stay in America, and now she was caught between a rock and a hard place. She had a husband and by that time, another baby boy to raise. I have often thought of how sad she must have been. Her life was hard and her husband less than loving. Years later after the Iron Curtain fell in Europe, she wanted to go home for a visit. All three of her sisters were still living and they had corresponded constantly. But her husband would not let her go. I often thought it was because he feared she wouldnt come back. So she survived the disappointment and carried on until her life came to an end. I like knowing that Aneskas blood runs in my daughters veins. It is a comfort to know that she comes from people who knew how to make do; who suffered immeasurable heartache and still prevailed. Kathy has evidenced this many times already in her life and I have no doubt she will do it again. At night when I close my eyes, I picture Aneskas indomitable little spirit standing faithfully by Kathys bed, reminding her as she sleeps that she comes from people who dont quit. Kathy may not remember her Grandma Sala, but I can promise Aneska has not forgotten her.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 16:51:32 +0000
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