|
George Burns once said "Happiness is having a large,
loving, caring, close-knit family in another city."
I'm
not sure I agree. I have a large, loving, caring,
close-knit family... and some of us have been
lucky enough to stay close together, geographically.
It keeps growing and growing... this family of mine.
We started out large and we just got larger! I
just counted 40 and that doesn't include everyone, I'm
sure. That's just my folks and my siblings and
their kids and their kids. My mother is a
great-grandmother seven times now...six of them
living.
My
family has brought me the most pleasure... and the most
pain. I can't imagine what life would be like
without a family. What would be the point?
My sympathy goes out to anyone who is alone. Of
course, that's just how I feel right now, when they are
not bothering me.
My
parents deserve so much credit! Somehow they
managed to raise seven kids. We faced plenty
of hardship... we often were without money... but life
was great for us. We definitely lucked out living
in small-town USA. I remember when we used to know
almost everybody in our town!
As I
look back on my memories of my mom...there were some
times when she was crabby and screaming... but who
wouldn't be with 7 kids? I remember the days when I
couldn't do anything right... but I also remember the
days of praise. I'm pretty sure my mother gave
me the greater part of my work ethic. We all
pitched in to clean because she worked. I remember
once after I'd cleaned the kitchen...nothing special
mind you... it's not like I polished any silver (we
didn't have any). Anyway, she came home
after a long eight hours standing on her feet at the
Piggly Wiggly and made a point of looking and saying how
wonderfully clean the kitchen was.
From that point on I tried to do a good job.
I
don't have the memories some kids have of their dads. I
kind of missed him dancing with me at my wedding... but
I don't think we had that fancy of a wedding, back in
the days. I don't think my dad did much dancing.
He was kind of busy raising kids. I remember Dad
taking us fishing, though, and I remember a big family
vacation in a camper to visit Yellowstone National Park.
Dad is solid like a rock. I always thought he
would never change. But he did. He was very
strict when I was young... I remember one of my first
dates and I came home a few minutes late... ( like 12:05
a.m.) scared to death of the trouble I would be
in. I should mention that it was winter and
it was blizzarding and my dad was out looking for me.
I actually saw his jeep pass us on the road. Yes,
it was past midnight. Yes, I should have been
home. At the time I hated that he was
looking for me and that I was in trouble... as I look
back now...WOW!!! What a dad! A few years later,
when the baby of the family was a teenager, she was
sitting on his lap! He had mellowed into a
pussycat. I don't think the younger kids were
afraid of him at all.
I
know some people look back and wish their parents were
different or had been different. Geeez louise I
was lucky! I got great parents! I am just
completely happy with mine. Everything wasn't always a
bed of roses and I certainly wasn't a favored
child...but I always felt loved! As I
remember it, they were the best all
along and they still are the best!
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
|
