24 years ago today… Posted by Liz December 13th, 2009
our mom died. Christmas 1985 was the worst ever, and 1986 to 1990 were pretty sad too as my siblings and I were separated. Our memoir ends with the four of us reunited, after five long painful years apart. That Christmas 1991 was a happy occasion–Diana’s stocking hung stuffed to the cuff next to Amanda’s, Dan’s and mine. We played Santa for each other then, and continued to do so for many years afterward. In fact, many people who have read our book have asked, what happened next??
To start, we are all closer than ever. Here is a photo from my wedding day, May 30, 2009.
Diana was my maid of honor and Dan and Amanda walked me down my back yard aisle–
they stood by me as I married the love of my life, Gideon D’Arcangelo and Amanda cried throughout the entire ceremony and the toasts, too. Dan gave one that had the entire crowd captivated. I missed my parents on that day for sure, but my siblings made up for that loss, like they have always done. And, considering it was rainy and gray on May 29th, I do believe my parents did show up on that day in the form of radiant sunshine, bright blue skies and a few perfect fluffy white clouds. Daisy Stewart, who is still a huge part of my life and was the best substitute “mother of the bride” a parent-less girl could hope for, says that as she was watching Gideon and I exchange vows, she felt someone pat her on the back. We are both pretty sure it was mom. Here, you can see Mom in Amanda’s eyes, and Dad in Dan’s smile.
But I am jumping way ahead! People want to know about the years immediately after Diana showed up in Virginia wearing bloochers and headbands: Well, after two miserable years at the uber preppy Saint Annes, Diana transferred to Tandem, a super liberal school in Charlottesville where she was one of a dozen students in her class. Doc Martins and torn jeans quickly replaced the penny loafers and plaid kilts. Amanda had one house rule–no tattoos–which Diana quickly broke, inking a star on the top of her foot with a needle and indigo in the tenth grade. 
She also had a beautiful baby boy–Harvey Moon Hartman who was born on September 2nd 2009, twenty nine days before our book came out–and an AWESOME partner, Jesse, whom we all adore, and who is also an artist/builder/furniture maker. Check out his website: www.vulturenest.com. He has single handedly built the sprawling “compound” where he and Diana live with Harvey, two chickens and their dog “Chooch” (short for Chupacabra).
Dan got kicked out of RIT at the end of his sophomore year. It had nothing to do with his grades–though Amanda and I did conference call him after receiving an abysmal report card. We told Dan he had to maintain a B average if he wanted the trust to pay for his education–arguing that was what our parents would expect of him as well. He argued right back that his status as the “youngest Theta Xi rush chairman in the history of the fraternity” should exempt him from having to get good grades. Dan got a B his second semester, but got kicked out anyway: something to do with a fire extinguisher. He spent the next year driving cross country, staying at Theta Xi frat houses for free–apparently all it takes is a secret handshake–before landing in LA where he became a production assistant. He moved to New York in 1993, slept on my couch for a week before he found an apartment and a job and has been working in television ever since. He was working as a location scout for Salt, the Angelina Jolie CIA thriller when he met Lindsay, the love of his life and now his fiancee. They are expecting their baby on February 3rd, my birthday. The Welch family keeps growing!
I met my husband just I was finishing this book. Then, and now, I was working full time as a magazine journalist: www.lizwelch.com which I have been doing for the last 12 years. I first knew I wanted to be a writer when I was living in Edinburgh during my junior year abroad. That is when I decided I would write this book. I did my masters degree at Georgetown, then spent a year teaching 10th grade English in the Mississippi Delta. (my next book is based on that experience.) From there I went to Hong Kong for a year, before moving to New York City around the same time Dan came back east. At the time, Diana was a senior in high school, still living in Virginia with Amanda who had by then gone back to college and applied for her Masters in Architecture at the University of Virginia. Amanda, Dan and Diana came to my Georgetown graduation in 1991, we all celebrated Diana’s graduation from Tandem on 1993 and Amanda’s from grad school the following year. Uncle Russ walked Amanda down the aisle when she married Dennis–they still live in Virginia, but now on 60 acres in a house they built. Diana and I were bridesmaids, Dan a groom. Ever since we got back together in 1991, we have never missed one holiday or milestone. We even were all together the day Aunty Eve died. She had been placed in a nursing home by her daughter, and upon hearing the news we all booked flights to Oklahoma. When we all walked into the nursing home together, Aunty Eve, then 92 and strapped in a wheelchair, looked at us and said, “do you know how long I have been waiting for you people?” She’d been there four days–four days too long–and we Welches got busy: Diana massaged Aunty Eve’s shoulders, I did her nails, Amanda decorated her room and Dan recorded the entire day with his camera. We went back the next day to do the same, and that afternoon surrounded by “her kids” as she liked to call us, Aunty Eve had a heart attack. She died the next day. I like to think she’s up in heaven with mom and dad. I like to think they are all patting each other on the backs for a job well done. Our title works on many levels–the kids are all right. Thanks to them.
Hi Welch Family,
I really like reading stories that have a huge family dynamic – especially ones that show relationships between siblings (definitely stemming from me being the 3rd of 4 kids and marrying a man who was the youngest of 5). After reading an interview with Liz in a magazine late last year, I knew I wanted to read this book.
I liked the format of the book, being told in alternating voices and was in awe of your resilience. At so many times the bond you kids had could have been broken but you were it’s fiercest protectors. I wanted more of the story after the book ended so I’ve spent some time here on your website which is great – so thank you.
It makes me think of my relationship with my siblings and definitely has me focused on remaining close although we are so far apart geographically.
Your stories also interested me because my husband and I are in the midst of (hopefully) becoming foster parents and I will definitely keep your family in mind if we have a foster child who has been separated from his/her siblings.
Thanks again for a great read!
Amy Lynn