This image haunts me. I wish I knew more about the story behind it. Here’s what I do know…this is a photograph of my paternal grandfather, Enoch Lewis, with five of his six children, including my father, John Lewis, who is the third child from the left. The pictured was was taken in 1943, right before the children all went to live at the Methodist Home for Children in Philadelphia. Their mother, Ruth, had recently died, and their father was unable to care for them. This photo reveals the uncertainty and deep sadness that must have been going through all of their minds. My father lived there until he graduated from high school, and then he joined with the U.S. Navy. I’ve been told by my relatives that my grandfather never quite got over the tragic loss of his wife. I remember visiting my grandfather on holiday occasions, but he never spoke of his pain or his memories. My father never talked about it either, but I do believe that it affected him deeply, too. The Methodist Home had a description of my father; they described him as sensitive and often very scared. He was only six years old upon arrival there, having just lost his mother, so I’m sure he was very frightened. I’ve been trying to understand my father my whole life. He left our family when I was around five years old, so I never really had the chance to talk to him about his childhood, but this must have affected him deeply and impacted him beyond what I can understand. ~shared by @reflectionsfromthepast