Childhood Web
I am the 3rd
child of 5 children. I have an older sister and brother. My microsystem
consisted of an extended family of parental grandparents, mom, dad, siblings,
and cousins living on a farm in a big wooden house with large rooms. My Dad is 1
of 9 children, and family members were always present to engage in interactions.
We are a close knit family with lots of love, concern and respect for each
other; Grandma Rebie would not have it any other way. The routines at home were
predictable and rarely changed. We ate
meals, did homework, watched television, and I went to bed at the same time
every night. According to Grandma Rebie;
there was a purpose, but I never understood it. Music was a huge portion of our family
interactions.
Mommy
& Dad: It seemed that they always had to go work. They left
the house very early in the morning to labor on the farm and I would see them
at dinner time. At dinner Mommy would ask the same question “What did you learn
in school today?” Every night I had to read
to Mommy and Dad. On Saturdays Mommy and
Dad drove my siblings and me to Greenville, the nearest city; sometimes buying
clothes and shoes, but always popcorn, soda, and bubblegum. They made me feel
safe and loved.
Bobby:
He was loud and got into trouble frequently. I would consider him the
spokesperson for the children. Also, he was very protective; looking out for me
when we were at school. He walked me to my classroom every morning. He taught
me how to hit a softball, and played school most of the time when I asked.
Grandma
Rebie: While growing up, she provided the majority of my
care and handled things in the house. She prepared enormous family style meals
daily beginning with breakfast and most of the time family appeared from all
over. Grandma’s big garden was behind the house, and we planted every vegetable
imaginable. I learned how things grew into foods I ate. Grandma gave vegetables
to family members and people in the community. She took me to Sunday School and
church on Sundays; afterward everybody showed up for Sunday Dinner.
My fondest
memory is dressing up in her Sunday hats and high heels with my sister and
cousins pretending to be adults.
Valuable
lessons were learned living on the farm and those experiences taught me
respect, work hard, and take nothing for granted.
Granddaddy:
He always sat at the head of the table during mealtimes. He shared the family
history of his parents, grandparents, and beyond. Through those stories I
learned about my heritage. He taught us
how to build things out of wood. He was
a master at craving and creating wood things.
His favorite
saying: “If you listen you can learn; if
you learn you can go higher.”
Cousin
Melvin: He was an older cousin who had driver’s license. Melvin
was a high school student and our bus driver, which was so cool because being
first on the bus allowed us freedom to choose our seats. I would consider him
as the chauffer. He drove us to church; school
events, doctor appt., helped with homework assignments, and played board games.
Aunt
Kaye:
She was daddy’s sister, and nurtured me as if I was one of her 6 children.
Every summer she took us to the beach. I spent some weekends at her house and
got to stay up late. She attended my school events with mommy and baby sat me.
She encouraged me to get an education so I would not have to work hard like my
parents. She always had profound wisdom to impart to all of her nieces and
nephews. We remained close throughout my adulthood until her death last summer
at age 82. Her favorite saying, “Treat people the way you want to be
treated”.
