DEAR ABBY: In response to the woman who cannot forget that her parents were not truthful with her regarding when they got married, here is another story about the same thing:
My mother recently got the shock of her life. While trying to obtain a passport, she received a letter stating that the information she submitted was incorrect. It appears that Mom's father was not her father, and there is no official record of her birth. Also, the maiden name my mother, my siblings and I have used on official documents was the wrong name!
Our grandmother is too ill to explain why she lead us to believe that the man we called "Grandpa" was Mom's father when he wasn't.
When my brother tried to obtain a Social Security number for his infant daughter, he was told there was a problem. My sister and I have received letters from Social Security periodically stating that there was a problem with the name(s) listed. We used to assume that it was because of our name changes upon marriage. We do not assume so anymore.
Abby, our family is trying to sort out this whole mess. My mother will be eligible for Social Security in a few years and is understandably concerned. All of the emotional issues aside, none of this would have occurred if Gran had not lied.
Thank God, my life is an open book! I assured my children, at one point, that they will never wake up to find that their father is not really their father, that I had other children, or that I may not be their mother.
Once our sense of humor returns, I think we will write Gran's memoirs. Thank you, Abby, for existing. -- STUNNED ON THE WEST COAST
DEAR STUNNED: I'm sure the memoirs will make fascinating reading. Your letter calls to mind Sir Walter Scott's memorable quote, "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!