Personal Childhood
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Family has always been important to me, even as a child I was
aware of how much family mattered. I watched those around me closely and picked
up a little bit of everything from everybody. There were a lot people in my
life who nurtured and cared for me as a child, but there were five in
particular that I love unconditionally. They were my mom, dad, grandma Aline,
Godmother Deloise, and my Uncle Melvin.
My mom who name is Hattie was and still is an awesome mom.
She worked three jobs to take care of my brother and I. She always made the
impossible happen, she was like super woman to me. Even though she had raised
almost all of her nieces and nephews, she still had plenty of energy for my
brother and me when we came along. Yes she was a late bloomer she gave birth to
me when she was 34 and then had my brother when she was 37.
Even as a child I had
a very old soul, so I noticed a lot about life from watching my mother. My mom
taught me to work hard for the things I wanted. She taught me how to be
responsible and take care of a family. She also taught me how important and
rewarding it can be to do for others. I never had to once question if my mom
loved me or not because it showed through everything that she did for us. Every
summer we went on a family vacation and she has kept that tradition going even
with my daughter. Every so often she would kiss me and tell me how she loved
me.
One of my favorite memories was when I was in pre-k, I was
in the pre-k class that came in at 12 in the afternoon. My mom worked at the
school so every day when I got there she would meet me at the bus and walk with
me to my classroom. All throughout the rest of the day she would peak in one me
to make sure I was ok, that meant the world to me because I was in a new
environment with people who I didn’t know.
If it wasn’t for my mother I would not be the woman that I
am in today. She taught me so much about life. She is the true definition of a phenomenal
woman. I am thankful for the morals and values that she instilled in me as a
child. Most of all I am just glad that God choose her to be my mom.
My dad was the total opposite of my mom. He taught how to
just live life one day at a time and to be care free. I learned to not worry
about everything because you can’t stop what meant to be. My father was a free
spirit, he kind of drifted on the wind. As a young child my dad taught me not
to just believe what was told to me, but to read and learn things on my own. He
taught me that having an understanding of the world and how it worked was
important. My father was a man who believed in following your dreams and he
instilled that in me at a very early age.
I was my father’s first child, and he let it be known that I
would always be his baby girl. He was
always bragging about anything positive that I did, in his eye sight I could no
wrong. He was like my superman, whatever went wrong with me he would try to make
it right. He didn’t have a lot of money but the time he spent with me as child
was worth more than any amount of money. He taught me how to ride my bike, he
brought my first pet, taught me how to drive. My father’s family lived in
Virginia so every weekend we went there. We would spend hours at the ship yard
in New Port News looking at the jelly fish in the water, on the way home we
would listen to Sam Cook.
My father passed in June three days after my birthday after
a short battle with lung Cancer. I never made it to the hospital to see him,
but he knew that I loved him. No man could ever replace my father, I am glad to
have had him in my life. I will never forgot all the life lessons that he
taught me, hopefully I will see him again one day.
My grandmother Aline was one of a kind, she was a jack of
all trades. She was an immaculate seamstress, people would pay her to make
clothes for them. She was one of the best cooks around, most of the food she
cooked was from her garden. She grew a garden every year, I enjoyed helping her
keep it up as a child. When I was younger she used to love to brag to her
friends about how I could shell peas. My grandmother was very soft spoken but
had no problem with getting you in line if need be.
My grandmothers’ love for me was evident, in everything she
did for me. When I was sick as a child she would make sure I was comfortable
and had my medicine. She showed me how
to crochet calendars and coasters, this was one of our favorite past times. She
was one of the women who started the usher board at my church, after I got baptized
she made my very first usher dress so I could join. Like my mother my
grandmother stressed the importance of family, but taught me that I should love
everybody.
My grandmother also took time to show me how to cook certain
meals, and also how to take care of a house. My grandmother made me feel
special just because she was always there for me when I needed her. Not a day
goes by that I don’t think of her, I wish I could just hear her voice just one
more time. I guess you could say she taught me everything but how to live without
her.
My Godmother Deloise is the true definition of what a Godmother
should be. From the time I was born she has been in my life, her and my mother
were raised together as sisters. My Godmother has always made me feel special because
she took time out of her busy schedule every weekend to take me shopping, to
the movies, or just spend time at her house. I remember one weekend she picked
me up and we went to City Lake and had a picnic. That memory will stay with me
forever because that was the only picnic I have ever had. Every Saturday
morning I looked forward to the big breakfast that she would cook. She was
always making sure I studied, she didn’t play about my grades. She also made
sure I was in other extracurricular activities, for instance she helped me run
for Miss Teen of North Carolina. She actually helped me to win an award in the competition,
by writing an essay.
Whenever it was time for me to go home she would always give
me the biggest hug and kiss, and tell me how much she loved me. She is one of
the reasons why I nurture and spoil my own child and God Children. Her motherly
instincts were very strong, I just love her for everything that she did for me
as a child. She is still influencing me today by living with me and supporting
me in going to school, and helping me care for my daughter.
Last but not least my uncle Melvin was a big influence in my
life when I was a child, even though he lived out of state. As a child I
watched my Uncle Melvin work hard to provide for his family. After he retired
from the DC government, he went to truck driving school and got his CDL
license. After he did that he began working for Schneider. He was a very soft
spoken man with a big heart and a major presence. He would teach me how to yard
work, and tell me even thought I was a young lady I needed to learn to take
good care of my car.
Again the time he spent with e meant everything to me. I remember
one time my mother had told my brother and I not to come up town to the store
that my uncle and his wife owned. Well ma uncle could never tell me no so we
went to the store with him anyway. My mom was so mad because we had left and
didn’t tell my grandmother, and she thought someone had kidnapped us. We got in
some major trouble for that. Getting back to my uncle he was always helping my
mother with us whenever he could whether it was picking us up from school when
he was home or supporting at us at school or church.
More than anything my Uncle Melvin showed me how to be a go
getter. When he passed my whole world was shattered, he was like a second
father figure to me. His spirit lives on through me today as I strive to be the
best person that I can be. I know he is in heaven smiling down on me.
