Childhood Web

Childhood Web

I am the 3^rd 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”.