This is my childhood web of the five people who have most effected my life. I could pick so many more people including some of my teachers, extended family, friends and cousins. I come from a large family who have supported me and helped me thrive as I grew. I will start with my Mother, Susan.
I am the only child to my mom and she is my best friend. She has shown me unconditional love while also setting appropriate boundaries and rules to help me grow into a smart, confidant, independent woman. She has guided me (and still does) in all aspects of my life by being a wonderful role model and setting good examples for me to follow. We have always had a strong bond and relationship because of how she has showed her love for me since I was first born. She has shown me how to be dedicated at school and work by being dedicated herself. One of the biggest things she has taught me in life is that I can do anything I want as long as I set my mind to it. I am very appreciative that I have her to look to for support, advice and direction.
My dad is also my best friend and I am his only child. I know I can count on him to be there when I need him or when I need an ear to talk to. We have a strong, stable relationship because of his commitment to my happiness and growth. When I think back to my childhood with him, the first thing I think of is how often we played games together. That was one our favorite activities to do together whether it was playing outside or playing chess and doing puzzles inside. He taught me how to have fun, laugh and stay young for as long as I can. That is something that has always stuck with me and stays in the back of my mind as I "grow". At the same time, he also never let me get out of line. He made sure I new how to follow rules and stay in check. He set appropriate boundaries for me and showed me that actions have consequences. He has been a great example of how a great man is suppose to be and continues to do so. Not to mention he his hilarious and makes me laugh all the time. I am happily married to my wonderful husband of nine months after finding a man who treats me as good as my dad. I am forever thankful for my dad's continued guidance, love, sense of humor and support.
My mom's mom, Nana, has always been there for me when I wanted a playmate, a story or a cooking lesson. Its as simple as that! She has always been there during birthdays, recitals and graduations and also had a lot to do with the planning of these events. I spent a lot of time with her and my granddad growing up. What happens at Nana's house, stays at Nana's house (shhh, don't tell my parents :) She is a great cook and I learned mostly what I know about cooking from her. She was a kindergarten teacher for a while in her younger years and I feel my natural love of teaching young children came from her. She was a wonderful teacher to me and my cousins and she taught us a lot about patience. I have used these lessons in my field. This picture of my granddad, her and I is from my wedding back in October of 2012. She did so much for me while I planned my wedding. She handmade all the linens for the tables, helped me figure out how to decorate, and let me borrow her arbor that we used. She and my granddad also provided me and the whole family with a wonderful beach house to stay at during the whole week of the wedding. The wedding ceremony and reception was four hours from home at Orange Beach, AL. We still spend a lot of time together and have a lot of family gatherings. She always makes sure I am happy, healthy and getting the most from life. I will cherish her forever because of that.
This is my dad's parents Martha and George, or as I call them Gran and Papa. They are in heaven now and have engrained so many values, morals and faith in me. They showed me how much they loved me while I grew up by being there for me and giving me lots of attention. I spent a lot of time with them and each of them shared their own unique lessons of life with me that have become so valuable to me today. While I was in elementary school, Papa would pick me up from school and we would always go to McDonald's for a snack and so I could play in the huge play dome. I always loved showing him how high I could climb and waving to him from the top. It never got old. What a great way to show a child you are happy to be with them and happy to see what they love doing. After I was wore out, we would go to their house and I would play with them until my mom or dad picked me up after they got off work. Gran taught me how sew, quilt and crochet. I do all of these things in my spare time to this day. I also sell the items I make as a little side business. I have also used these skills in the field of early childhood. I am naturally crafty and Gran helped me harness this gift to use as a gift to others. I love doing crafts with children and showing them how to make art. As I have grown I see how valuable being able to do these skills has been for me in my life and in the early childhood field.
After doing this activity, I see more how meaningful my relationships with these people have been while I was a child and now. They have all played a very unique, meaningful part in my development. Each one offered me something different that was valuable in shaping me into who I am today, a unique, confident, independent child-at-heart. I now use my strengths and gifts to be a good wife, daughter, cousin, in-law, and hopefully one day, parent myself. I also take these skills with me to work each day to help young children thrive and develop.
