Dorothy's Diary: Today

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1945 • 1946: Today Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

I built a dream of mansions,
Of formal gardens grand,
Of terraces and parties
And music by a band.

But in the days of waiting
Since that time long ago,
Those dreams, my dear, have vanished
And I have come to know,

They all were built of tinsel,
Oh vain and foolish past!
For in your arms I'm happy,
Since you are home at last.

—Dreams, by Sayda Grey Richardson -a poem folded within the pages of my mother's diary.

Dorothy's Diary
Today

New visitors:

Welcome. Dorothy's diaries begin here, on Jan. 1, 1945, and continue through 1946.

There's a scrapbook containing background information about my mother's friends, her family, and her Chicago neighborhood.

I began posting Dorothy's diary online, a day at a time, on Jan. 1, 2007. The days of the week in 2007 matched exactly with 1945. In 2008, the days were off by just one.

To each day, I added pictures, comments from me and my aunt (Dot's sister), and the day's news, sports and weather.

Dot's diaries cover a time when her own life was in transition – from age 16 to 17, junior to senior year of high school, graduation and her first job. From a typical teenager's crushes and heartbreaks to finding true love (maybe).

The war-weary world was also transitioning – from death and destruction to peacetime, with many new challenges in the making.

Adding the day's events to Dot's diary has, I hope, brought more context to Dot's life and provided just a little sense of how extraordinary those days were for everyone. —Dave (Dot's son)

* * *

Afterword -October, 2008
(*contains spoilers)

My trip back in time was one I'd thought about taking for years, and I'm very sad now that I have to “leave” her and return to the present day. But I loved every minute of the journey.

I had the chance to be, in a way, alongside her again for a while, and as much a part of her daily life as I ever can be again. I will miss seeing what we're going to do, or where we're going “today”.

I'll take the new old memories I've gained over the past two years, when I was lucky to get to know her better, and love her more.

* * *

Note: Thank you especially and most gratefully to everyone who stopped by here, expressed their interest, and particularly to all those loyal readers who generously contributed their thoughts, photos, and research. —D.)
Many thanks to the Chicago Tribune and Eric Zorn.
Update: Because Dorothy's last diary entry leaves a bunch of loose ends, I was asked if my mother explained why she stopped writing in her diary. She doesn't, so I can only guess. It might be due to her new, full-time job (and a steady boyfriend) that she had to skip several days' worth of diary entries. Maybe she didn't have the time to pick up the practice again. I suppose I'll never know.

< October 1946 entries | Epilogue:. 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5

< Dot's 1945 diary

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