Paula - My Sister
My big sister, my mentor, my friend. Paula filled many roles during my childhood, filling in the role of mother, sister and many others.She cooked my meals, cleaned my house, and taught me all about life. She was always there for me. Always. Even when she went away to college, she kept in close touch with me. Letters flowed freely and often. She always cared about what I was involved in, even though she was trying to get her own adult life together. We remain close even now as we watch our own children grow and mature.We celebrate our relationship with our annual "Sisters" weekend, with our other sister, D.J.
D. J. - My Sister
My sister D.J. has been a mentor and friend also. Closer in age, we spent many years together at home acting out plays, singing and dancing together. D.J. would help with my homework and let me talk to her boyfriends on the phone! Silly things, but what fun we had just goofing off. We shared chores, but we really grew up together and took care of each other, too. Our annual get-together is important to us both, and we see each other as often as we can.
Dorothy Mae
Dorothy Mae is my mother's cousin. She has a daughter that is my age and lived just down the road from me, so I was at her house several times a week. She really was an important influence in my life. She always watched over me and made sure to talk with me when I was at their house. She was a nurse, and also baked and decorated wedding cakes part-time. She was a real role model-raising a large family and working 2 part-time jobs. Not many women worked that much in those days. I was included on family outings with her family, and she made sure I went to church, too. When I think of family styles, hers was different from ours. I'd say they were a lot more engaged or enmeshed than we were, but it was a good feeling to be there. I always felt loved and cared for there.
Gram - My Grandmother
Gram was a little overwhelmed with us when my mother passed away. She was my father's mother, and lived close by, so she became very involved with us quickly. She would do our laundry and bake bread for us. She still lived on the farm she grew up on, so she taught us a lot about animals and gardening, and hard work! She cooked for us often, and almost always on Sundays. From her I gained my love of gardening and cooking. We always drank tea at her house, and she always had home-made cookies or cakes. She would tell stories of life on the farm and about all the relatives that had grown up and lived there. I always felt special and loved at Gram's house.
Aunt Jaye
Aunt Jaye is my mother's sister. Even though she lived far away and I saw her only about once a year, she was very special to me. I don't remember how it started, but somewhere along the way we started writing letters to each other. I think it was a way for me to feel somehow close to my mother. Aunt Jaye was great, though, and always wrote back. She was always interested in me and made me feel important.We still keep in touch now, at least through holiday cards, and she still makes me feel loved.
