India Ink on White Linen

In early August of 1941, a young man wandered across the dance floor, never taking his eyes off the pretty girl on the other side. She took the hand he offered, and they danced. Before the music ended that night, Beth and Will were in love. It was an effortless romance and within three months they knew they would like a church wedding and a big family. Then, World War II hijacked their life.

The war was the first blow in a barrage of devastating events that nearly impoverished them, sent death knocking, separated them from their children, and ripped away their peace. Beth tethered herself to sanity for the sake of her children, despite the immense challenge. Although he told no one for decades, those events stole Will's dreams and relegated him to half the life he'd hoped for, leading to the losses and humiliation of alcoholism.
At casual glance, this might seem like the story of catastrophic inattention, bad luck, and abject betrayal, resulting in unrelenting struggle. Beneath that half-truth is a story of the kind of love that survives thanks to an awkward, flawed, yet infinite capacity for forgiveness and perseverance. Their love was rewarded with the kind of comfort and companionship reserved for one that endures until its natural end. Their love was one that left a legacy to its heirs of tenaciousness, resilience, and strength.

A native of Michigan, Carolyn holds a Master of Education degree in Behavioral and Theoretical Sciences, with a specialty in School and Community Agency Counseling. After ten years at home with her two children, she began her career as a creator of rehabilitation programs and hands-on work as an instructor and therapist. Ms. Geiger is an outdoor enthusiast, at one point averaging thirty miles per week of long distance running along the Detroit River. She reached a lifelong goal to climb Mt. Lafayette on the New England leg of the Appalachian Trail. She has traveled all over the United States, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean. Closer to home, she rescued an historic house from demolition and restored it to its original charm. She's currently renovating another historic house built in 1899, resting a short walk from the site of her childhood home in rural Michigan. As her children and grandchildren settle into their individual paths, she hopes to use this time to produce more stories from her wide acquaintance with thousands of this world's fascinating people, indulge her love of painting, entertain tried and true friends in her garden, and relax with her partner Eric in the homes they share.