“The message was burned in my brain,” she wrote. “‘Maria is not enough. Being Eunice’s daughter is not enough. Being a Shriver is not enough. Being Maria Shriver for Double Sure is not enough.’ ‘
After many family tragedies, including the murder of her uncle JFK in 1963, and her uncle Bobby Kennedy In 1968, Mary shared how her family’s method of grief left her to deal with the aftermath on her own.
“The world outside ended cold in their tracks, but no one in my family seemed to stay for a minute,” she reminded. “No one stopped to cry, no one quit to talk, to mourn, and no one stopped to offer comfort, really not for me or my brothers. For me it was confusing, even scary.”
But in the middle of the pressure that came from being from such a large family, Mary continued and continued to create a life where she could stand on her own. With Arnold she welcomed children Katherine Schwarzenegger35 Christina Schwarzenegger33, Patrick Schwarzenegger31 and Christopher Schwarzenegger27.
In a poem that Mary wrote later in her book, she addresses her children and expresses hope that they do not feel as doubtful about her self -value as she grew up.
“And then my child when you go into this great adventure, never doubt your value,” she tells them. “Never ask your value, never lose the view of who you are or where you came from.”
Continue reading for more about Mary’s family tree …
