My favorite quote is by Frederick Douglas which says, "It's easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
My favorite children's book is, "Love You Forever by Robert Munsch". My children loved this book when they were small and we read it often.
A story that really touched my heart is about a child we lost to cancer three years ago. She was adorable and never complained and loved attending school. She only attended Head Start for one year and when she was diagnosed, we thought she would get better and and be able to graduate with her class. Each year we have a Head Start transition (graduation) with more that 450 children from across the county. It is so well attended that we have family members who attend from across the country and there are more than 5000 people who fill the coliseum. The reason why I can remember this one so vividly is because the little girl seem to realize that she wouldn't be able to attend, but she ask her mother to come and walk across the stage for her. She did and the child died the next day. We were all so devastated and although she was hospitalized during this time, we hoped that she would recover as she had before. This was not to be. We dedicated the graduation to her and presented her certificate at the funeral. I still become sad when I think about her, but I know she has her wings because she was such an angel while she lived.
Yeah! I found you Eliza. You have a 78 in your blog address that you forgot to share with me. I will add you to my list and hopefully have something to share with the class from Walden in a day or two. Thanks, Katy Smith
ReplyDeletePERSONAL CHILDHOOD WEB
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about my childhood and those who influenced me the most, I cannot move any further without talking about my mom and dad. My mother and I were not as close as I was with my father. My mom took care of me by clothing me, feeding me, and caring for my personal needs, but when things happened that I was unsure of or I needed advice about something important in my life, I went to my father. He was my rock and I thought he would be in my life forever until one day, six months before my high school graduation he became ill and was diagnosed with cancer. He died one month before graduation and it took a long time before I was able to accept that he was no longer a part of my life and only then I was able to get over the anger. My mother and I became closer after my father passed. I moved away to attend college and began a new chapter in my life because the memories were too painful for me to stay home. I was away for more than fifteen years before returning to stay. I would visit, but I was unable to live at home for a long time. The memories hurt to much.
The next person who was a great influence in my life growing up was my maternal grandmother. She was such a beautiful spirit and she care for all her grandchildren, but she had a way of making each of us feel uniquely special. It was the way she held us when we cried or the way she told us that we were her one of a kind love. She allowed us to all stay at her home at the same time and sometimes there were as many as 8 of us there together in 2 beds. She lived next door to my parents in a 3 room house which during the sixties was pretty big. I remembered sitting in her lap while she rock me in her rocker and told me that I had to go to sleep because that was the only way I would grow up and be really smart. That was the one place I always felt peace and love no matter what else was going on.
The next person who meant the world to me was my caretaker, Mrs. Matthews. She was an elderly woman who lived close to us. She was not only my caretaker when my parents were working, but she also was my first teacher. She taught me how to write, count, alphabets and numbers. She was a wonderful person and she always made me feel loved. She took me with her wherever she went and although I was with her from age two until I was five, I have never forgotten her or how wonderful she was to me.
The next person who left a lasting impression from my early years was my Uncle Willie. He was such a character. Many of us have relatives, who are not been the most educated, or the most sophisticated, or upstanding, but you never forgot them. They were the ones who made you laugh, whom many of the older relatives hated to see arriving, but was always the life of the gathering or family reunion. This was my uncle. He was the best babysitter I have ever had because he loved beer and laughter. He would help to babysit when my grandmother became older and was unable to care for us. He would cook, although we never knew what it was, he would tell us funny stories and say they were true, when we knew they were lies and he would always buy us candy so that we would have dessert after we ate. I absolutely loved him. He not only kept me as a child, but also my children when they were young. When he passed, I was very upset because my kids would never have the chance to know him the way I did growing up. To know him was to love him.(smile)