Growing Up

Carrie wanted me to write a blog about how things used to just show up on our front porch at our house, such as food and clothes. It is funny how my sisters always want me to write about things...

To be honest, I don't totally remember all the details on what used to "show up" at our house, or when, or how many times. I think I was too young to remember. My sisters must have been in middle school and I must've been in elementary school (or just graduating pre-school) during our charity years. So, I can't comment a whole lot, as I say, on what it must have been like, but I do have a few memories.

One thing I do remember was that mom used to have all kinds of different jobs. She did whatever it took to make ends meet and provide for us. She was so faithful...to God, to dad, and to us kids. She did everything from Merrymaids to work in public school Cafeterias. She was, and still is, such a servant. She is kind, gentle, well-spirited, and has such a good heart. She's a good listener, too.

Dad was a hard worker as well. He did real-estate for a long time and then got into concrete pipe sales when I was in middle school, I think. He was always writing something or other, trying to live in the moment of his passions, too. He and mom always put us first and provided for us at all costs.

Most of our growing up years my sisters and I didn't have our own rooms. We never went out to eat out or went on family vacations, either. We made the most of what we had with our love for each other and learned to entertain ourselves. Family was all we had and all we grew to love. We never had fancy cars or brand-named clothes, but I believe it made us appreciate those things all the more. The three of us (Carrie, Anna, and I) all got jobs as soon as we were able and learned to support ourselves. We never expected anyone to pay anything for us and we always learned to save up for things we wanted. I appreciate that now, the older I get.

Looking back, like any kid, of course I wished I had been given new things. I wished I had a new car and new jewelry and cool makeup, and horse-back riding lessons. Who didn't?! I am glad I had to work for what I wanted, though. I'm glad my curfew was at 10PM instead of midnight. I may have hated it at the time, but it was all for my own good. My parents knew what they were doing. Who knows what more trouble I could've gotten into past 10 or how much more selfish I would have become if I were handed things on a silver platter.

Life wasn't easy, then. Mom used to have to go to SERVE for groceries and I think we were on food stamps at one point. We also used to come home from school and there would be bags of groceries on our front doorstep. People just "felt led to buy them" for us, if you will. It's a blur, now, but I'm sure it wasn't a blur to Mom and Pop. I'm sure they went through hell and back to figure out ways to provide for us kids and wished they could have provided more. But, it was enough. It was plenty, actually. Their love and discipline were all we could have asked for. And if and when Isaac and I do have children of our own I will have the wisdom to impart the lessons I learned.

It might have been tough for my parents to provide for us at one stage of our lives, but trusting in God they got through it. And because they stuck to their beliefs and their faith on implementing discipline and developing character, I can say with confidence now that the three of us are stronger people and have the knowledge and life experiences to charge through life with a level-headed approach.

If we, if I, haven't said it enough I'll say it again: thank you Mom and Pop for raising us right, for teaching us well, and for putting up with all of our shenanigans. I know we weren't perfect (by far), and we still aren't, but we love you and we appreciate the love you had, and still have, for us.