In honor of my Grandmother who became an orphan from this ordeal. She lost all of her family at the age of 5. In any web search for her last name she is the only person that comes up. In honor of my Grandfather who had to travel across Turkey dressed in disguise as a woman to Aisa in order to be hired by the American Red Cross and chartered on a ship to America. In honor of his 1st wife who died during the death march. In honor of his 2nd wife who died of Tuburculosis. In honor of my dead father and my ancestors and the legacy of my last name.

I light a candle on April 24th.


It is estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed over the span of 8 years 1915 to 1923 during World War 1. Women and children were forced to death march across a desert without food or water. My grandfathers 1st wife died in the death march by jumping off of a bridge into a River with her 2 children.


April 25th Marks another special day a memorial as well for the Jewish Culture. Its the Holocaust Memorial day. I will light my candle in honor of your ancestors too.

Both Cultures had similar experiences by the mass extermination of people, planned out to horrible extremes.

Some people are lucky to even grow up with knowing a story about their legacy. I can't possibly imagine what it would be like to walk a death march and starve walking across a desert as a woman with children.

These things did happen. They can happen again.

As long as I am living, I will tell the story. In hopes for peace and solidarity amongst the tribes.
April 24th is like a Samhain to me! A celebration of my Ancestors! A celebration that we survived to tell the tale.

Don't think for one moment that a genocide can never happen to you or anybody close to you.
By virtue of what happened in Armenia, The Sudan, Poland, and even the Native American population in America.
It happens and it is very close to home. This earth isn't as large as the universe. Women were taken in as slaves in harems. They were turned into concubines with the fear of certain death on regular occassion. Women would see their Armenian sisters assulted and killed in order to keep silence. To me this says the weak are cruel. The strength is in the perserverance. Today is a honorable day. For my ancestors, for the Africans who went into slavery (even though its not their commemorative day I honor you) For All tribes who have endured.

I am reminding myself of the bumper sticker I read two days ago. "The worlds problems can not be solved by the ones who create them."

Blessed Be!
JeZeBeLe