Thursday, November 6, 2008

My Heritage

I am from the South. I am a good ole Southern girl with a Southern(redneck) husband. One day I hope to raise my kids in the good ole' Southern way. My momma and daddy raised me with the best intentions. They worked extremely hard to give us everything we wanted. I was a latchkey kid in Kindergarten through my senior year in high school. There was some babysitters, but for the most part TV was our babysitter. I seem to think now is the reason that I love to watch my TV. It was always there when I needed it.

Unless my brother had the changer.

My parents worked in a grocery store. I used to be so ashamed of that. I never wanted to tell anybody at school where my parents worked. I know its sad. If only I could take that back. My brother and I were never left out of anything however. We played every sport in school, and my parents paid the way. We went on every church and school trip all through school. My family was never on welfare. We never lived in a trailer. I am definitely not saying those things are bad. You do what you got to do to make your family work.

My father once told me once that we could make a choice. We could live in the house in a subdivision and keep our used cars, or we could live in a trailer and have brand new cars. I think its all in what you really want. My parents have lived in the same house for 22 years. The are really close to paying off their mortgage.

We were not rich by no means. My parents wanted us to have college educations, great jobs, and a great family.

Two out of three ain't bad.

I never got my college education, but I have great job. My brother has 2 bachelor degrees, and a masters degree. He has a great job too. I always say he went to college for me.

My brother and I got the family of our dreams too! I have a loving, wonderful, and supportive husband. He has a wife and a baby girl.

I could care less if I had to live in a trailer, as long as my family was with me, and no tornadoes were in sight. I have pride in what my family has accomplished.

Today my Father no longer works for one grocery store. He works for about 40 grocery stores as a vendor for a major frozen pizza company. At his age, he is the Number 1 salesman on the East Coast for this company. My mother no longer works for the grocery store either. She is a successful business owner. She owns a gift basket business that she started from scratch with her sister.

All that shame that I had was for nothing. They were showing me that they worked hard to make a living. It doesn't matter where you work as long as you are happy.

3 Ways to Agree/Disagree with me!:

Anonymous said...

Just wait till you have kids and you'll realize a TON more things to feel guilty about. I totally relate to you. When you are either a grown up and/or a parent you suddenly realize all the stuff your parents did for you that you never appreciated or knew of. It sounds like you have great parents who showed you how to work hard and earn your own way in life. That is a great lesson to have learned. :-)

ME said...

Awesome post! We never realize what our parents do/did for us until it's too late, then we can thank them for just being themselves and doing the best they could!

Paige said...

aw...what a sweet tribute to them