The person who has influenced my life the most is my mother, Traci. My mom is a single mom who got pregnant with me at 18 years old. She grew up really fast and learned to be the best mom that she could be. She put herself through nursing school working two jobs, with the help of my grandparents and her sisters. She always put me first and it was just me and my momma for my entire childhood. She taught me strength and stressed independence. She helped me to become the person that I am today. My mother continues to support me with her unconditional love and support. No matter what happens in my life, I know that my mother will always be there for me.
My Grandma
My grandma, Joyce, also played a very large role in my childhood. I lived at my grandparents house for the first seven years of my life and she was often my main caregiver, as my mother was at work and school. Because I was the only grandchild, you can imagine how much she spoiled me. She gave me so much love and attention and really let me get away with everything. She also taught me how to do many firsts, such as riding a bike, tying my shoes, and baking cookies. To this day, my grandma continues to spoil me. She has never missed a single game, band concert or recital. She even came to my wedding in Jamaica. My grandma is always someone that I can talk to and offers the best advice. And she is still teaching me things. Right now she is teaching me how to sew and passing on her best recipes to me.
Growing up with a single mom, I didn't really have a father figure. My grandaddy, Rob, was my father figure. My grandaddy was the disciplinarian in the house but always had a soft spot for me. His nickname for me, even at age 28, is still "rotten." My grandaddy made me feel loved by supporting me in everything I did. He was there for me emotionally and financially. He made sure that I was able to go on every field trip and attend every extra curricular activity that I wanted to do. My grandaddy still supports me by being my biggest fan yet pushing me to dream and act bigger. He is the reason I chose to pursue my masters degree and introduced me to politics, which is now one of my passions.
My Aunt Bridgett
Growing up in my grandparents house also meant growing up with both of my aunts. My aunt Bridgett was the oldest, a junior in high school, and I was "her girl." She always made me the sole center of attention and we had so much fun together. I remember riding in her convertible jammin' to The Beach Boys. Our song was "Kokomo" and I still love that song, so much that I walked into my wedding reception to that song. Now that I am grown up, my aunt Bridgett is more like a sister. Bridgett taught me how to be a "tom boy." We would play soccer and catch salamanders in the creek. She also taught me how to fish. She listens to my problems and offers advice and vice versa. We can talk to each other about anything and she is really a valuable voice of reason for me.
My aunt Joy also lived in the house that I spent many childhood years in. Joy always made me feel special by playing dress up with me and doing my hair and makeup. Even though I was little, she would include me when her friends came over, and that really meant a lot. As I got older, she taught me all of the girly things to do, like hair and makeup. We would always go shopping together and get a cookie at the mall. Like my aunt Bridgett, Joy is much like a sister to me. She offers great advice and life experiences whenever I am going through something tough. And she is still the best shopping partner :-)
Summary
My family is very close. At one time, there were a whole bunch of people in a little house and everybody was in everybody's business. To this day, it's still very much like that. While everyone is now grown and has their own home, my momma, grandma & grandaddy, aunt Bridgett and aunt Joy all live in the same neighborhood; different blocks but still within walking distance of each other. I love this about my family and wouldn't change it for the world. We are so close and everyone helps each other out, in my book, it's perfect. And as you can see from the picture above, we love to have a good time!
