OUR FAMILY
I
CAME FROM A LARGE FAMILY,
WITH
2 BROTHERS AND 3 SISTERS, WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH PRIVACY.
FOUR
OF US GIRLS SLEPT IN TWO BEDS.
YOU
SHOULD'VE HEARD SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID.
WHEN
WE WERE YOUNG, WE FOUGHT ALOT.
THERE
WASN'T MUCH MONEY, VERY FEW NEW CLOTHES WERE BOUGHT.
WE
WORE A LOT OF HAND ME DOWNS.
SOMETIMES
WE EVEN GOT THINGS FROM THE SALVATION ARMY UPTOWN.
WE
DIDN'T CARE, THOUGH, WE WERE PROUD OF WHAT WE GOT.
THINGS
PEOPLE GAVE TO US MEANT A LOT.
DAD
WORKED VERY HARD AT HIS JOB.
WE
WERE ALWAYS CLEAN AND NEAT, WE WEREN'T SLOBS.
DAD
AND MOM GAVE US ALL THAT WE NEEDED.
MY
BROTHER AND I MOWED LAWNS AND WEEDED.
WE
TRIED TO HELP ANYWAY THAT WE COULD.
WE
PROUDLY SHARED THE MONEY WE MADE LIKE WE SHOULD.
MOM
WENT WITHOUT A LOT OF THINGS WHEN WE WERE SMALL.
THERE
WASN'T EXTRA MONEY TO SHOP AT THE MALL.
AT
CHRISTMAS, THOUGH, WE HAD A BALL.
THAT
WAS THE BEST TIME OF ALL.
SOMEHOW
AT CHRISTMAS, DAD ALWAYS CAME THROUGH,
WITH
MONEY TO BUY LOTS OF GIFTS FOR ME AND YOU.
DAD
USUALLY BORROWED, ALTHOUGH PAYING IT BACK WAS TOUGH.
MAKING
ENOUGH TO SUPPORT 6 KIDS AND A WIFE WAS ROUGH.
DAD
DID IT THOUGH, FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
WE
HAD A LOT LAUGHTER AND SOME TEARS.
I
KNOW MOM AND DAD FELT LIKE GIVING UP, SOMETIMES,
BUT
THEY NEVER SAT AROUND AND WHINED.
THEY
WERE TAUGHT TO HANG IN THERE THROUGH THICK AND THIN,
FOR
THEY KNEW THAT THEY WOULD WIN IN THE END.
HOPEFULLY
WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, TOO
AND
HOW MUCH SACRIFICE AND LOVE OUR PARENTS HAD FOR ME AND YOU.
By
Janet Matrisch
