Personal Childhood Web

My Mother: Francie

My relationship with my mother is so special.  There has been ups and downs including a time frame where my aunt had temporary custody of me. The bond has been strengthened because of the obstacles. She taught me how to persevere and always count on God, and I prospered because of the lessons she taught me. She always made me feel valuable and loved.

My Father: John

My relationship with my father is special because he always made sure I knew my family. He lives in Chicago, and our relationship was strained due to our distance. His old-fashioned ways of still helping my mother (when needed) even though they have been separated for at least 2 decades makes me feel the love is unconditional despite life circumstances. Although he hasn’t been perfect by any means, he has taught me a lot about life.

My oldest brother: Clyde

My oldest brother is very special to me because he was so supportive during my pre-teen and teen-age years (and now). He provides a great example of a good family man. There is a 13-year age difference between us.  He is married and his wife has become a very close friend of mines. He has always told me and reminded me never to settle and to give my best in all that I do. He is very reliable. He helped me to feel safe as a little girl, and he also encouraged me to be more outgoing.

My Aunt Rochelle:

My aunt Rochelle is very special to me because she treated me like I was one of her own. I had to go live with her in Chicago for a year and this was a very difficult time for me because I had been in MS for what seemed like forever. She made me feel loved, safe, accepted, and valued. She insisted I come stay with her when relatives in MS had to think about it. I was separated from a familiar school and friend, but I couldn’t have picked a better home or guardian.

My Elementary Teacher: Mrs. Phillips

My reading and spelling teacher, Mrs. Phillips was so special to me because she saw my passion for reading and words. She always told me how bright I was, and she always told others about me too. I felt so important when she encouraged me and talked to others about me. She was not shy at all when she spoke about me. I even think she helped me to see more that I knew was there. I collected so many loose erasers and eraser toppers from her for spelling words that I woke up each day determined to win/earn more than the previous day.