The time has come for me to tell you all the truth. You deserve to know who I really am. My name is Isabella Petracca.
I haven’t been fully honest. I’ve kept something huge from you: I had a brother. It’s awful; I automatically say “had” when it’s really “have”. He’s not dead or anything. It’s just that my family doesn’t talk about him anymore. Not since…
Not since he was convicted for meddling in drugs. This was a couple years ago now, when he was in his early twenties and living away from home. I’ve always looked up to him, he was my role model ever since I was a baby. He was my big brother, and I thought he walked on the stars and the moon was his personal spotlight. When he was picked up by the police my family cut off all contact with him, and I was too scared to try and contact him on my own and go against my family. Now we just ignore his existence. I’ve been ashamed of what he did, and I’ve spent all this time feeling guilty, as though I played a part in his downfall. I know it’s preposterous, but that’s how I felt.
There’s a reason I’m telling you about this now. Because I don’t feel like that anymore. I was visiting family in the States (I live in Greece, in my dad’s hometown, and my mom is American) and I went with my grandparents to distribute food for the needy. My main worry was that I would get tired in the middle, and have a horrible headache and suffer because of the noise of the city. But then, I was handing sandwiches to homeless people, and they were joking and laughing and making everyone around us crack up. I realized something: if these homeless people are not ashamed of their lives and they are not embarrassed to tell people the truth about what they have gone through, there is absolutely no reason I should be ashamed of something my brother has done.
I can tell the world about my brother now, and walk with my head held high and the truth ringing in all of our ears. I have a brother. Maybe he doesn’t walk on the stars or have a close-knit relationship with the moon, but that doesn’t mean he’s not my family. The time has come for a change.
Thank you for listening to the naked truth of my life.
Yours truly,
Ella (short for Isabella)
Song quote:
All of your flaws and all my flaws, they may have been exhumed, you’ll see that we need them to be who we are, without them we’d be doomed. –Flaws, Bastille
P.s. Now click on this:
(Yay for 40th post!)
IMPORTANT MESSAGE:
20.4.14: Hi everyone, I just wanted to make sure that it’s perfectly clear that this post was an April Fools Day joke! I am not Greek, I do not live in Greece, my name is not Isabella Petracca, I have never had a brother, I didn’t go with my grandparents to feed homeless people (though that’s a nice thing to do)… It’s all made up! I came up with it with a bunch of friends as a joke, but I figured that as it’s been so long since April Fools that it wouldn’t occur to anyone that it’s a prank. It is!
Well, have a nice day!
I was thinking what a sad story it was and then I read the April Fool’s bit. It cheered me up again. :)
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Writers make stuff up. So do politicians. And journalists.
But I’m rather disappointed you don’t live in that nifty place with all the whitewashed homes.
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I was totally hooked, you are a born story teller!!
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I am so happy to find you because you are so creative and your touch with words is light like the fairy.
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love that raw sincerity on your posts :)
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fudge, just read the truth part, I am going to hit myself with a mallet now to see the birds fly around my head
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I can really sympathise with you, the darkest corners of one’s mind are always the hardest to speak of, but when one does, it is so liberating in a heavenly way. Good on ya for having the courage!
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People make mistakes…
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Hi, just wanted to make sure you understood that this was an April Fools joke!
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Yes it is… but I have to tell you this one does best with those who know you… :-)
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I know, newcomers probably didn’t pick up on all the jokes and the general play on my secrecy as to where I live :) I don’t live in Greece!
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That’s too bad. Greece is awesome.
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Very convincing. You almost got me!
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Welcome to the sunlight. Loved reading this post.
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Hi, just wanted to make sure you understood that this was an April Fools joke!
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I caught up to the fact very late, but did in the end. Well played.
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And here I was, ready to write a long and heartfelt response. Nicely played! ;)
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HA! And for a moment you had me fooled!
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Good one!
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Reblogged this on Rachel's Totally Righteous Blog.
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Hi, just wanted to make sure you understood that this was an April Fools joke!
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I love this that I wished it wasn’t april fool… haha! seriously, its a lovely write up, of courage and power to embrace that bitter phase of life.
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I totally missed the “The Truth” button at the bottom and forgot this was April’s Fool’s Day! 😆
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I am so glad you got it because everyone seems to be taking this seriously and it is clearly an April Fool’s Day joke :)
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It definitely took me a minute. You had me going all the way! Job well done. I ALWAYS fall for the April’s Fool stuff. Lol
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I’m happy you shared this part of you. But more than that, I’m happy you sound that you are making a peace about your brother. You are right. He’s your family. We all make mistakes and no one is beyond love. I pray that he will learn from his mistakes and make better choices. But I know from experience, his chances of that are much greater if he knows someone still loves him. Loving people doesn’t mean we have to agree with them or condone their behavior and we shouldn’t enable them. But we can still love them. What a great experience you had. It touched you enough to make you share a part of your life you thought you had to keep hidden and now I know you must feel a bit of freedom to let it out. That takes courage. Bless you.
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Glad you shared :)
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Hi, just wanted to make sure you understood that this was an April Fools joke!
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Whoopsie!
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You are fantastic.
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Hi, just wanted to make sure you understood that this was an April Fools joke!
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Oh, absolutely. That’s why I said you’re fantastic. Sorry for being vague. I didn’t want to give the game away too soon.
I love April Fools. :D
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And thank you for telling it. It takes real courage.
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Hi, just wanted to make sure you understood that this was an April Fools joke!
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