QOTD - When you were growing up...

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Registered: 03-25-2003
QOTD - When you were growing up...
6
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 5:31am
which of your parents were you closer to - and which one had the greater influence on you?

I was more like my Dad - and emulated him in most things. My Mother was a stern, disciplined woman, who kept things moving well - but I wasn't close to her - until much later in life. They were both good role models. Rosemary

Avatar for daggs170
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Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 9:08am
I was brought up by my grandparents, and I related to my grandfather much more than to my grandmother. Grandma was a stepgrandmother to me and I was her little Cinderella. Grandpa was compassionate and kind and understanding. I feel that I am more like him in many ways, however my grandmother was a very nervous person and it seems that somethow or other I have inherited that trait and not being blood related I just can't figure that one out. Bea
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Avatar for mindy46
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Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 9:15am
although a mother holds their children much closer then a father,i would have to say i was pretty close to both my parents.they both taught me the responibilities in life,especially sharing their kindness and compassion!!i am proud to have known and loved them both.and now i really miss them!!((hugs))mindy
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Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 10:16am
Thumbs up...a good question! I was closer to my Mom, which made me decide not to be like her. She was (is) an "old fashioned" wife, who does everything for Dad even when she was working a full time job sewing in a clothing factory. I hated that he was so demanding when she was dead tired! (I could go on & on, but won't:-) Cal
Avatar for judetwo
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 12:18pm
My parents divorced when I was 3 and I didnt see him again till I was 18..so I wasnt close with him..lol..she remarried when I was about 7 or 8 to a very not so nice man..so I really wasnt very close to anyone as a kid except for my Aunt..when I got older I started having a better relationship with my Mom...lordy I wrote a book..sorry..hugs Judi
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Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 7:03pm
I wasn't really close to either of my parents, unfortunately. My mother treated me like an experiment, watching to see what I did so she would know how to handle my little sister. But little sister was so different from me, and my parents rejoiced in this difference for some reason. She was the one who was going to be someone important some day, and I was just going to be a good mother and housewife! Yuuccchh!!! I tried to love each of my four children and let them know that constantly, and I think it paid off. And now I am doing things and working at a wonderful job that my parents would never have foreseen.

My father was 40 when I was born, gave lectures at the dinner table on "How the atom bomb was built" (when I was in fifth grade), "His experiences growing up" (always), etc. He was somewhat afraid of us, having been orphaned at 7 and feeling that he knew zilch about kids. His reaction was to keep hands off unless I needed to be punished, which my mother would tell him when he got home. My little sister was never punished (I got blamed for her naughtiness), and to this day claims that our parents were so wonderful because they never yelled at us or hit us!

I look back at all the guidance I didn't get and the discussions I never had and feel very lonely, sometimes. Of course, all the ignoring helped to make me self-sufficient, I suppose. Always a silver lining to every cloud.

Anne

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Registered: 03-31-2003
Tue, 05-27-2003 - 7:23pm
What a great question Rosemary: I was very close to my

mom, she was very strict with us, but could see our side

of the coin. When she grew up at the age of 16 she was

giving speeches in Tulsa, Okl. We have 3 medals that she

won, people came from all over the county to hear her. She

really loved that and came in handy when we had public speaking.

When she married, she became a widow at 18 with a 9 month

old son, and gave up speaking. That happens to be my 82 yr

old bro in Fresno. My father was a cowboy, and I learned got

being a horse women from him. My mom died at 57, and he at

56 6 months to the day apart. This September she would be 100.

Betty