Personal Childhood Web

I grew up in a very small town in Maine on a farm with both my parents, three sisters and one brother.  I am the middle child.  I have a very large extended family.  My dad was the youngest of seven children and my mom was the youngest of six.  We spent a good portion of our time at my paternal grandparent's at family gatherings.  I can remember celebrating every family members birthday on my dad's side at his parents house with all the aunts, uncles and cousins.  It was a huge loss when first my grandmother and shortly after my grandfather passed away.  Not long after each of my dad's siblings and him seemed to become the head of the family for each of their own immediate family circles.  The huge gatherings stopped except for probably weddings or Christmas. 

If I have to pick just a few of the people in my life who have had the largest impact, it would certainly be my mom, my dad, and my dad's parents.

My mom was a stay at home mom who ran her household, raised her five children and helped my dad with the farm.  She is a very quiet, private person until she felt the need to protect or defend her children.  She could do so with a very fierce passion. 

My dad was a farmer, so even though he worked very hard and long days, we had the luxury of him being at home also throughout our childhoods.  He only had to walk out the front door and across the yard to go to work each day.  My dad is also a quiet, private person but loves to talk with people.  He is also very easy-going, light hearted  person.  My dad would do almost anything to help someone in need.  He is very protective of his family.

Together they raised five children of their own and had foster children at times throughout our childhood.  I remember my parents as having what seemed a wonderful marriage and family life.  I have never to this day heard either of them raise their voice to the other.  They are both very honest and trustworthy people.  We were raised to do what we could to help others, not to be quick to judge and to be appreciative of what we had.  They had unlimited love for children.

My grandparents on my dad's side were very big influences also.  I remember my dad would go to visit them every day either after he finished milking the cows to have morning coffee with them or for lunch.  Then every evening we went as a family to visit and check on them after dinner. 

My grandmother was a midwife, a school teacher, the mother of seven and helped her husband with the farm also.  My grandfather had a dairy farm when he was younger and able.  They were married for fifty plus years before my grandmother passed away.  I can remember the hole that left inside the family.  Shortly after we lost our grandfather also.

I was very fortunate to  have the childhood that I had.  I felt very loved, protected and nurtured.  We did not have a lot of money, but it didn't seem to matter.  What we had was much more important.  I feel we probably had a very sheltered childhood growing up in the area that we did.

Each of these people had very distinct roles in our family but often their duties and responsibilities overlapped; they worked very hard but together to raise their families to be kind, respectful, and nurturing people.  They showed us through example what is important in life and how to achieve it.
They gave us great examples of how to give to and care for others with love and respect for each person as an individual.  I think each of them has had an impact on how I have grown and turned out as an adult.  My love for and the desire to protect and advocate for children came from a very long line of those who did the same.