Growing up as a child for me was interesting and fun but different. I
came from a very large family of 12. I
was never alone. I always did things with my sisters and brothers. My entire family did had and still have an
impact on my life.
I will start with my Mom:
My mother was the most influential person in my life. She was a strong
woman who really kept our household together. Although there were 10 children,
we were very disciplined. My mother was very sweet and loving, however “she
said what she meant and meant what she said,” and that is all I am going to say
about that. She was supportive and
encouraging. She taught me how to cook, sew and do so many other things.
Unfortunately, I lost my mother when I was 16. It was very devastating to not
only me but also my entire family. It
was the positive things that she taught us that really kept us all together.
My Dad:
My daddy was and still is a minister.
Although he was very busy working to support the family and pasturing a
church, he still took time out to spend with us.
Dad would take us for rides, buy us ice cream and we would talk and
sing during the entire trip. He would
sometimes, come in the room where we were and walk on his hands. It is little stuff like that that I will
cherish. Although he was busy, he took
time out to spend with us and I will never forget that.
My sisters:
I have six sisters and we are so much alike. It is hard to name just
one because each one touched my life in so many ways. Having so many sisters, I was never
alone. After the death of my mother, my
sisters gave me advice and supported me in what ever I set out to do.
My Brother:
I grew up with three older brothers and they were my protectors. They
were loving and sweet men unlike the norm.
Although, they loved to tease their little sisters, they looked out for
us. Whenever I needed advice from a male
prospective, they provided their honest opinion.
My BFF:
With so many bothers and sisters, it is a wonder that I had a childhood
friend but I did. My childhood friends
name is Wanda. We were inseparable. She had a very positive impact on my
life. She stayed at my house so much
that my parents called her their daughter. Wanda and I did everything together
and we talked about everything. We had
so much fun and we are still friends today. It has been 40 years.
All I can say is that 40 years of friendship is simply bliss. I believe that the best way to have a friend is to be one, and to hold on to a friendship for such a long time means that you have loyalty and high tolerance, which is a great asset in an educator. I can only imagine how heartening it must have been to grow in such a big family. Because of my father’s condition, we had the privilege of having all our uncles, aunts, and cousins come over on family occasions. When they all got together, I remember being extremely happy and excited to have them all around the house. While reading your post, I felt the positive energy that floats around you as you described them all. It warms up my heart to see strong family ties with so many family members in the era we are living nowadays. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete40years of a friendship is amazing. You coming from a large, close family some would think not everyone would get the same treatment but your family is the exception to the myth. Now, that you are an adult, are you raising family like your parents raised you? Have you notice that family values and rules repeats it's self from generation to generation.
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