My Personal Childhood Web

Mom (known to me as Mommy)

My Mother is the strongest woman that I know. At the age of 18 she left her home in Bermuda and came to live in the United States. She didn’t know anyone and lived on her own. Her strength and courage have influenced me in my adult years. I think I appreciate her more now than I ever have. She always made feel safe and feel loved. A few years ago I had a have two major operations and she helped take care of me and my family. Her love for me has been a wonderful example of how to mother my daughters Sydney and Jessica.

Dad

My fondest memory of my Dad is when he had to comb my hair before I went to school. My mom had to leave town to attend a family funeral. I was about 8 at the time and I woke up with my hair in a complete mess. Dad was fixing my breakfast when I woke up and said, “Oh no! What are we going to do”? He got on the phone and called my mom and she walked him through how he should fix my hair. I still hold onto this memory because I knew that he wanted me to look nice when I went to school. Dad fixing my breakfast in the morning was our time before I went to school. It always made me feel good. His example of fatherhood is what I also wanted as a husband and father for my children. He has always encouraged me to do my best and has been quick to let me know when he thought I should try harder.

Grand-Dad

My Gran-Dad was the center of my world until he died in 2004. We had the best relationship. From the time I was a little girl I knew that I was his favorite. He would always ask me how I was doing in school and ask about my friends. As I got older I cherished the conversation we had on the phone. We talked on the phone just about every day. We both like the same soap opera so he would give me all the updates when I got home from work. The conversations we shared about life and just anything we felt like talking about made me feel good. I value the importance of being a good listener because of him.

Aunt Jackie (My Godmother)

Aunt Jackie declared herself to be my Godmother in 1973. My mother had no family here in the states so she made it her business to help my mom take care of me. Aunt Jackie had five sons and never had any girls. I always felt like the baby girl in the family because she and the boys always made me feel protected.  My parents moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore shortly before I was born. Aunt Jackie has always been a part of my life. She’s been to my birthday parties, graduations, wedding, baby shower, and was with my mother on the morning of one of my surgeries. When I woke up she was standing right next to my mom. At times I actually call her mom.

Miss Anita ( My Babysitter)

Ms. Anita became friends with my mom shortly after I was born. Since my parents moved to Baltimore you might say she picked up when Aunt Jackie left off. Anita became my baby sitter after my mom when back to work when I turned 3. She would pick me up from my nursery in the afternoons. She also took me to kindergarten and picked me up each day. When I got home from school she would make my lunch before putting me down for a nap. There were times when I would get sick and she would take me to the doctor if my mother wasn’t able to take the day off from work. I can remember staying with her on days that I was too sick to go to school. She is another person in my web that made me feel loved and secure during my childhood.

Influence

I think I am a piece of all the people that I have mentioned. When you put the five pieces together, they make up parts of who I am.