Personal Childhood Web

This week in class we have been talking about young children and how they develop in an environment of relationships. We have discussed how strongly positive relationships affect a child's life. This space in my blog is dedicated to the people who I feel nurtured and cared about me as a child, and helped me develop into the strong, determined woman I am today. While this list is certainly not exhaustive, it's a good start.


One person who strongly influenced me as a child and continues to influence me today is my mother. My mother is a strong, determined person who does not let the trials and tribulations of life get in the way of her goals. She always had time for me, and even took me to work with her when necessary. I had a special spot to play in her office. She helped me develop my love of reading by taking me to story time at the library every week and helping me pick out books to check out. She patiently read and reread them to me, as often as I asked her to. While we certainly had our differences of opinion, especially during my teenage years, because of the strong bond we forged while I was a young child, I consider her not only my mother, but a friend today. I am also told that I am a lot like her, and I think it’s great because she is also one of the warmest, caring people I know.

Another strong influence on my childhood was my late grandmother, Mimi. Although she passed away when I was a mere 5 years old, some of my earliest and fondest memories are of the time I spent with her. She, along with my mother, was one of the strongest influences in fostering my love of reading. Mimi would spend hours reading to me. I remember asking her to read and reread books constantly, and she would just laugh and keep reading! It is because of her that I am an avid reader with a diverse taste in reading material. Although our time together was short, I think about her every day and hope to instill the same love of reading in my children and later my grandchildren as she did in me.

A third strong influence on me as a child is my Aunt Meta. Although she is not blood related, I have known her my entire life, and spent at least half of my childhood at her house. She is like a second mom to me, and is known as Oma (German for Grandma) to my son. She is the one who taught me everything I know about animals, as well as how to sew. She even had to learn a whole new vocabulary because of me. I asked so many questions about the animals on the farm, she had to learn the proper terminology for things so that she could teach me the right names for everything. She had the patience to answer my incessant questions about every animal and aspect of raising them. She also was someone I could go to when I had a problem and needed someone to talk to. With her I always felt loved and cared for. She is still important to me today because she is still someone I can go to with a problem. She still helps me with sewing. I truly value every minute I get to spend with her.