What do you remember about your childhood?

I remember my first pair of Nikes.

I remember my first Guess outfit that I was able to buy for myself.

I remember my older brother making bottle rockets in Heineken bottles and me being terrified ’cause I thought glass would shatter everywhere.

I remember lots of parties and lots of loud music. I assume that this is the reason my hearing is not so great.

I remember a two-door Nissan Sentra, then a Nissan Pathfinder in 1991- the year my younger brother was born.

Oh and I remember the Pathfinder being crashed by you know who and you know how many times. (love you bro)

I remember rice & peas, oxtails, curry goat, stew chicken, escovitch. Nom, Nom, Nom- you have to appreciate Jamaican food.

What I don’t remember is never having anything to eat.

I don’t remember worrying about where I was going to live.

I don’t remember not having that joy of having family around.

I always had a place to lay my head. I always had friends growing up.

And I had because of my parents.

Sure, they fought and as far as I was concerned they hated each other.

As an adult, though, I am so glad that my father was in my life. It made a huge difference.

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My husband is watching this documentary on basketball and these kids are talking about moving 5, 6, 7 times. Not knowing if they would have something to eat. Wearing clothes down to the ground til they were worn. Not having a father, some no mother either and having to be raised by brothers or sisters.

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I had security.

Regardless of how my parents felt about each other they made a commitment to us, their children, to be around.

They took up side jobs- working as bouncers at night clubs ’til the wee hours in the morning or working at Macy’s as a part-time job in addition to a full time day job in Insurance.

They did what they needed to do so that we could have and not want for the necessary things in life.

When I look at my daughter, I want to give her everything she needs and the things that she wants, too. My parents taught me the golden rule of parenting (in my opinion). Which is that I need to do whatever is in my power to make sure that my kids never want for anything- even if that means making sacrifices… maybe sacrificing my dreams (temporarily) or parents who make sure their kids eat before they eat. Buying what your kids need instead of buying something that you want.

You know, our kids didn’t ask to be on this Earth. We brought them here.

I know that a lot of people out there have it hard. Watching things like this documentary and listening to these guys stories reminds me of what is important and just makes me grateful for how I was raised. It puts things in perspective.

I am just thankful to my parents for providing my siblings and I with that constant security. I’m thankful to my parents for the sacrifices that they made for us… and for any of the times they ever went without so that we could have.

It takes becoming a grown-up to really appreciate the little things. I am now learning, too, that even when you think they are not looking- they are. (They being our kids) And they are learning from us- our actions, our behavior- how we treat ourselves and others.

Now, my parents live on two separate ends of the East Coast- but I know that I always have a place to call home. I can just choose between Florida and New York.

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