Personal Childhood Web
I have created this post as a dedication to 4 influential
people within my childhood.
1. My
Mother Marjorie – My mom was a wonderful, strong woman who loved me, and wanted
the best for me before I was even born.
I have a journal in which she documented her thoughts and dreams for me
while she was pregnant. She was a stay
home mom until I started 7th grade.
I am an only child, and while I was somewhat spoiled, my mom taught me
to take care of my things, as they do not always come easily. My mom consistently instilled the notion that
education was the most important part of my life, and in order to prosper, one
must be educated. Furthermore, my mom
taught me that as long as I was educated and chose a profession I love, I will
always have the means of being independent.
I believe that this is the reason I have a passion for higher education
and bettering myself. I find many of the
attributes of my mother within myself in reference to my children.
2. My
Father Robert – My dad was a great provider for my mom and me. My dad was a high school dropout in the 9th
grade because he had to help provide for his mother and 2 other brothers. My
education was important to my dad because he understood the struggle with not
having a high school education. My dad
was fortunate to be promoted to a foreman at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard,
despite his limited education. I
remember helping him write his reports for his superiors, because he did not
have the basic language skills that the task entailed. My dad always said “I was able to make it on
a 9th grade education, but the world is changing and that is not
cutting it anymore. I want my daughter
to go to college, the first in the family.” My dad was not one who showed his
emotions regularly, but I knew he loved me because he always called me “slurpee”
and took me to the 7-11 convenience store to get slurpees all the time. Along with my mom, I credit my dad for
helping create my further education and lifelong learning attitude.
3. My
Maternal Grandfather James – While I only was able to enjoy my poppop for 8
years of my life, he was my best friend.
I loved my poppop with all my heart and he loved me. We were always together, and my poppop let me
do things to him that he would never let anyone else do. I remember getting my hairbrush all tangled
in his thinning gray hair. My grand mom
would have to work like crazy to get the brush out and he would never complain.
Additionally, I remember playing doctor with him and giving him the hardest
needles. I know I had to hurt him, but
he always made a silly face to make me laugh.
My poppop was the nicest person, and never had a mean word to say to or
about anyone. He had a calm and peaceful
disposition. I believe that I have
gotten my peaceful mannerisms from my poppop.
I am easy going and always try to keep the peace, just like him.
4. My
Maternal Great Uncle Sam – My uncle was amazing, I always knew this, but I
never really understood how amazing he was until I was in my late teens. My uncle was always kind to me when I was
young, but the most memory I have of him was when I was a teen. He was very old. He was my mom’s uncle, and my mom had me when
she was 35, and he passed when I was in my 20’s at the age of 95. My uncle would sit for hours and tell me
stories about his music. He was a
wonderful musician and played classical instrumental music all his life. Even well into his older years, he bought a
Casio Keyboard because he no longer had the wind to blow the horns he so
loved. He told me countless stories
about playing in speakeasies with the boys during prohibition. He told me about his love stories for my aunt
who passed way too immaturely from Alzheimer’s disease, and how she was never
able to have children, but they were too busy for that anyway. I remember him being able to do
anything. He told me about how he built
his home from the ground up and created it just the way he and my aunt wanted
it. He would always say “Look around,
you can’t find one crack…you know why? Because I built it the way it was
supposed to be done, not like carpenters today.” He was so proud of me when I graduated from
high school, and then college. I will
never forget, he was old as ever, but still came to my college graduation to
see me walk. He still impacts me today
with his “you can do anything you want” speeches. Whenever I feel a little
discouraged, the memory of his talks ground me.
These 4 people have really helped to shape my life and make me who I am as a woman, mother, and teacher.
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