My Mom (bottom left)- My mother raised me as a single parent, she divorced my Dad when I was only three. She always worked hard to see that I had everything I needed and wanted. I am her only child. She is still so supportive of me; she helps me so much with my own children. She taught me how to balance everything; work, family, and a household.
My Aunt (bottom right)- My Aunt took care of me during those all important early childhood years. I stayed with her and her family while my mother was working. She had three boys and as the only girl she spoiled me rotten. My Aunt helped maintain my self esteem as a brown girl in a bi-racial environment. I always felt special even though I was different from everyone in my family.
My Father (top left)- My father is the hardest working man I have ever known. I definitely got my work ethic from his side of the family. When I was young he would take me to work with him and I learned how to treat others; he would move through the office speaking to everyone from the janitor and cafeteria workers to the managers and treat everyone with the same friendliness and respect.
My Grandfathers (middle and bottom right) - My paternal grandfather taught me the value of education. As the second oldest of 13 children he had to quit school in the 8th grade to work on the sharecropper's farm in Lousiana to help support the family. This picture is from my high school graduation. A few years later I very proudly attended his high school graduation. All of his children and grandchildren are college graduates.
My maternal grandfather taught me most of my life skills; how to pump gas, read a map, and find a job. The Chinese proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” applies to one memory of my Grandfather. In college I was hoping for a job at one of his businesses so I told him I was looking for a job when I came home for the summer. He sent me the want ads.
My Godmother (top right) – It’s a joke in the family that she is my “fairy godmother.” All my life she has done so much to support me. She even took care of me so that I could attend a college prep high school in her neighborhood. She is a retired teacher and I have so many memories going to school with her. All my school projects use to be the best because she was so creative. She is still there for me and my children.
