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 7^th 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 9^th 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 9^th 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.