Personal Childhood Web

           When asked to describe the individuals in my life who cared and nurtured me as a child, I immediately think of my family.  I am the youngest of five children and each member of my family had a special influence on the person who I am today.

Dad: My father left for work each morning in his suit and returned around dinnertime. When he did return, he often took time to help me with my homework or coach my sports teams. He was always encouraging me to do my best and took pride in an “A” on a report card. I was his youngest daughter and he never let me forget that I was his baby. My father valued education and did not believe in giving up. He pushed each of us to get a college degree and pick a career that we were passionate about. He was also a major influence in my decision to return to school.  He instilled in me a desire to succeed and work hard in my studies.

Mom: My mother was a stay at home mom until I entered Kindergarten. As I began school she returned to school to get her college degree. I remember sitting on the family room floor doing schoolwork together. I treasured that time. She exerted strength as she ran from practice to practice for five children, volunteered at our school, and still manage to get all her schoolwork done. Her strength was a major influence in my life. I never felt that something was unattainable. If you invest in yourself you can achieve your dreams. Her presence and influence in my life remain today. She is the first person I look to when I need advice and she is supportive in all that I do. She is my rock.

Rachael: My eldest sister, Rachael, always had her nose in a book. She was a star athlete and a straight “A” student. She was significantly older than me so when I was entering first grade she was going off to college. Even though she was living at college she still made it a point to be at all my events. I always saw her cheering me on at the games, taking me out for snowballs, or making it to movie night with popcorn. Although she is my sister I have always considered her a second Mom. We did not fight like sisters but we have always shared a bond. I looked up to her and wished I could be just like her. She became a science teacher at my middle school and I saw her passion firsthand when I talked to my friends who were in her class. She is also the mother of three children and two of her children have disabilities. I chose my career in special education after spending time with my nephews and her. I saw the growth that comes from a strong family unit and early intervention and I wanted to be a part of that. I followed in her footsteps and became a teacher as well.

Megan: My sister, Megan, was a lacrosse star and my fashion guru. She enjoyed doing my hair and picking out my outfits. I never valued my fashion sense quite like her so she was a good influence when I tried to wear white after Labor Day. She struggled in her schoolwork due to a learning disability but she never let that be an excuse. She was driven to succeed and worked hard at it. Today, she is a vice president at her firm and a mother of twins. She is the woman you look at and say, “How does she do it?” Her drive to succeed and overcome any obstacle is strong influence in my life. When I look at her I think that there is nothing that is impossible.

Jessica: My sister, Jessica, was the wild child of the bunch. She often made the wrong decisions before making the right ones. Even though she was wild she was also incredibly compassionate and caring for others. She loved working with children always took me along when she was babysitting. She was very artistic and often planned fun art activities. She always wanted to help those who were less fortunate. Recently I went with her to hand out Thanksgiving Day leftovers to the homeless in the city. Her patience and compassion were a great influence in the person and teacher I have become.

John: My brother, John, was my best friend growing up. We were often playing in his toy jeep or on his Nintendo. It was not until recently that I realized how bad I was at playing Super Mario Brothers. When I asked my brother if I was always this awful when we played he said, “Beth I carried you throughout the whole game, you just kept falling in the water.” That story is what describes our relationship. He was always looking out for me. I annoyed him and he annoyed me but we were always tight. If someone was picking on me, he was there to set him or her straight. Today we continue to have that bond even though he lives an hour and a half away it just takes a phone call and he will be there.

When you grow up in a large family there is little room for selfishness and a lot of room for love. We all depended and supported each other. Each of us had a special bond with one another. Each of us influenced each other in some way. When I think of us I think of a quote that my sister Rachael shared with me.

“When you come from a big family, it’s almost as if you’re one person, each brother or sister an aspect of you, like an octopus with tentacles that move in different directions but are always a part of the whole.”

                                                      -Adriana Trigiani (Lucia, Lucia)