I
grew up in a rural town in North Carolina. Everyone knew each other. It was a
wonderful time and place to be a child. My personal web includes my paternal
grandmother, grandfather, 2nd grade teacher, Girl Scout leader and
my best friend (who was also my neighbor).
My paternal grandmother and grandfather
lived across the street from my family.
While my parents worked, they took care of me. My grandmother told me of
her lineage of being a Native American, who owned land, with such pride. One way she made me feel special was by
brushing my hair. We both shared the same long, tangled hair. She would tell me
how beautiful my hair was when everyone else described it as a “mess.” My grandmother showed me what others see as a
“mess” is beautiful in God’s eyes.
My paternal grandfather would let me sit
in the driver’s side of his white Chevrolet and listen to the radio. He loved country music. I loved it because he did. We would sit on
the front porch for hours talking and eating watermelon, which was also his
favorite. Not so much mine. He made sure
I was warm in the winter by bringing my family wood for the fireplace. With my
grandfather, the little things mattered just as much as the big things. I share
his passion for giving to others.
My 2nd grade teacher, Ms.
Surratt, was my favorite teacher. She
always had encouraging words for me when I came into class in the morning. She was the first person to tell me “I could
do anything I put my mind to.” She was a person who believed in their
students. Ms. Surratt also went to my
church and knew my family intimately. So
there was no way I would ever misbehave in her class. She respected me and I respected her. Ms.
Surratt taught me to believe the best about people. And I still try to do that today.
My Girl Scout leader was Mrs. Fisher. Mrs. Fisher was the mother of a girl in my
class. Her husband had passed away and she was raising her daughters
alone. She was a patient woman who led
12 4th grade girls. We had
lots of projects in which she encouraged us to complete. Mrs. Fisher encouraged us to be the best
people we could be. She reinforced
scouting values that I still remember today.
She is one of the reasons I chose to be a Cub Scout leader for my son’s
group.
My best friend was and still is
Karren. Our home situations were
similar. We often times depended on each other for support. We would sit in the rural fields of North
Carolina and talk for hours. She is dependable and always has kind words of
encouragement for me. Even though we live thousands of miles apart, I know I
can depend on her.
