My mother, Anka, who came to Australia as an immigrant after World War II. She was born in Yugoslavia and grew up during the war. She met my father, Leo, who convinced her to start a new life with him in Australia.
They arrived in Woolongong and were taken to an internment camp for immigrants. Life in the camp was hard, but my mother never complained. She was a very good housewife, and her kindness and generosity made her loved by everyone.
After a few years, they moved out of the camp and into a small flat in town. My father got a better job as a bricklayer and saved enough money to buy us a house in the suburbs. They became Australian citizens, and they were happy.
My mother passed away last year after a long battle with cancer. She left behind a legacy of love and courage, which inspires me every day.
It was my brother, Danial, who was in the photo with my mother and father, taken by immigration in Rome. My father was Italian Croatian, and my mother was Croatian and a Russian Orthodox, but my father's faith was Roman Catholic, coming from Istria, Italian-speaking.
Danial is no longer with us, and we don't know how he passed away. He was a selfish person who fractured the relationship between me and the middle for economic gain. He was closed-minded and didn't like anyone exploring the world. As he would say, "You know what thought thought?," if he felt you were being too nosey, he'd ask, irately, "Why do you want to know?"
Despite this, I have moved on, and I choose to remember the good times we shared as a family. As someone once said, "You can choose your friends, but not your family."
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my family's history. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. And don't forget to subscribe to my blog for more stories like this one. Thank you for reading!
