The people who influence me and impacted my life.
First of all were my parents. My mom and dad had 15 children 11 boys and 4 girls. My mom stayed home to raise her children, and my dad worked two and sometimes three jobs to keep a roof over his families head. Making sure we never missed a meal, always had hot water, lights, heat, and shoes and clothing to wear. He also taught all of us the value and love of family and most of all the value of a dime. My father died at the early age of 45 but left a strong legacy of love and strength. My mom shows her love and support to all her children as if we were the only child. She showed us love in our meals, cleaning the house, clean clothes, helping with homework, looking at TV, dancing and singing pretty much in everything we did. My mom is now 80 years old and still living life as if she were a teenager. Both my parent taught us about God we prayed together and went to church together as a family.
My aunt Rita was like a second mother to all of us. When mom was in the hospital having my brothers and sisters my Aunt Rita took care of us. She not only took care of us but she was the favourite Aunt to the whole entire family all my cousins children of her brothers. She was the Aunt who gave all the parties such as Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Summer Picnics and much more she gave all of us her time and love.
My Grandparents were a big part of my life also. My grandpa was a quite man, the way he talked to you you could fell the love and the way he held your hand when we walked together he would tell you stories about the olden days. My grandma was a woman of great prayer she love the Lord it showed when she talked to us. She brought candy to us on Fridays after school we all looked forward to that. We did not get candy very much. Dad did not like the ideal of all of us going to the dentist.
As a small child my friend were my brothers and sisters. We had what we call the Koolaid house all the kid in the neighborhood came to our house to play. My mom was very smart that way she knew at all time were her children were. The person I looked up to the most beside my parents, Aunt Rita, and my Grandparents was my older sister Peggy. She was and still is a strong person I waned to be just like her when I grew up. What is funny about that is we are totally different. I still look up to her. Also my oldest brother Charles he stepped in when my dad died. He had large shoes to fill and he did the best he could. One way he did it was he kept telling stories about dad to all of us. So we would not forget him. The storie are still be told to now the grandchildren. Dad legacy will never die.
My best times were Christmas Days. Each and every child had at least five or six gifts. We all open them one child at a time. The youngest always first. The bright eyes and smiles made the whole house feel the love we all had for each other. The Christmas dinner was always wonderful and always more food then we could ever eat. We had lots of left over to eat for the next few days. We never knew we were not rich fianically but we did know we were rich in love.
My mother is the person who started me in childcare as a young girl, but my Aunt Rita is the person who started me in the professional childcare business. When she died she was still running Claver Daycare and Kindergarten. She was not only my aunt she was a good friend. I miss her and my dad very much.
"Mom and Will my Greatnephew dancing."
