Personal Childhood Web

I want you all to know a little bit about my family. They are the ones who influenced, loved and nurtured me into who I am today. They are part of what makes me special and they are very dear to me. I can't imagine my life without them being a part of it. 

From left: Me, my mom, my brother, my cousin Patrick, my cousin Jandy and my Aunt Carolyn

Three of the most influential people in my life are in this picture. They are all still in my life and I am thankful everyday that they are still here for me.

My mom- My mom spent all of my young childhood at home with me. She did work when I started school but was always home before I got home. She was always there for me and she still is to this day. She was the mold that keep us all together. She taught me to be loving and caring. I can only hope my children think I am as loving as she is.

My dad- My dad was in the Army well into my teenage years. We moved about every 3 years. He preached common sense and wanted us to be well-rounded. He taught us to always have a back-up plan. He was the force that drove us to be better. He believed firmly in education, therefore, we never had jobs during high school. He invited us to live at home while going to college so we didn't have the extra stress of paying bills. I am a strong independent woman because of him. Although he is gone, he is still the force that drives me today.

My brother- My brother is 6 years older than me. I was born 5 days before his 6th birthday. I think we share a special bond because our birthdays are so close together. He has always been there for me. When I was a baby, he helped my mom take care of me. When I was school-age, he walked me to and from school.  As we got older, he would drive me to school. He was my protector when our parents weren't around. He put up with me and let me play with him and his friends. There were only a few times I can remember when we didn't get along or he simply didn't want me around.  We live far from each other. I'm in Arizona and he is in South Korea. We keep in touch through emails but we both know we are here for each other when the need arises.

My cousin- My closest cousin is in the picture I posted above. She was my first best friend. We are about two years apart. We spent as many vacations together as we could growing up. We bonded early over feeding the pigs on our grandparent's farm. The farm is where our mom's grew up. We would play and giggle anytime we were together. In adulthood, we spent less time together. We had a nice visit last year and it was like we were the same giggling kids. Nothing will ever change our bond.

My grandmother- My grandmother was an amazing person. I miss her and my dad daily. She passed away 6 months after my dad. We feel she couldn't take losing my father since he was the baby. She was 93 and was the center of our family. Her house was the gathering place for all of us and always felt like home. She was my playmate when my older cousins ran off to go play. I was the youngest on my dad's side of the family and didn't have a cousin near my age. We would play card games or dominoes. Many memories were made at her house and she cherished every one of us. My favorite gifts from her were the ones she made. I remember her asking me when I was in my early 20's what I wanted for Christmas and I told her I still wanted something she made because they were my favorite gifts. That year, we exchanged gifts that we both made for each other. I still have things around the house that she made or things that were once hers.