The first five people that come to my mind when I think of influential people in my life are: my mother, my father, my Aunt Linda, my Uncle Otto, and my fourth grade teacher Ms. Sharon.
My parents have been the most influential on me and have always made me and my siblings know that we are special and truly loved by them. We have a very strong sense of loyalty in my family. It was always known that you may disagree with your siblings, but they are still your sister / brother no matter what! We have all always been there for one another and support each other even when it may be difficult to do so. I always felt truly loved and special and know that my parents truly cared about me.
My Aunt Linda was actually my aunt by marriage and I remember her fondly to this day. I remember my Aunt Lind making everyone feel special. She had the softest voice and never seemed to loose her patience or temper. I am fortunate to still be able to stay in contact with her today.
My Uncle Otto lived in Germany and when I was little my sisters and I were able to take a trip over to visit with my grandmother, aunts, and uncles. I remember my Uncle Otto the most and became very close to him. He made me feel safe and secure in a world where we did not speak the language and my mother was not with us. Even with the language barrier he made me feel safe, loved, and cared for during our entire stay. When we were older and stationed over there I was still close to him and we often took walks through the woods near his home. I miss him dearly.
Ms. Sharon was my fourth grade teacher and she made school exciting for me again. Unfortunately, I had a terrible third grade teacher and by the end of that year I hated school and felt horrible about even going. I remember entering her classroom and being greeted so warmly and she was so excited to see me. I'm sure she greeted all the children that way but I felt special and wanted in her classroom. Since I was a shy child this was very important to me. She made coming to school and learning exciting and fun and she always had time to listen to me.
About Me
- Toni Stubbs (Mahaney)
- I work full-time as an Early Head Start Home Visitor. I have a Bachelor's in Child Development with a specialization in Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. I have recently graduated with my Master's in Early Childhood Studies specializing in Public Policy and Advocacy. I am currently in a Doctoral Program for Early Childhood. I love working with children and their families. My company encourages and empowers individuals to be more self-reliant; we not only educate children but their families as well.
Toni,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a wonderful family. I remember having a really neat 6th grade teacher, his name was Mr. McKinney and I will never forget my first day with him because he had my brother as a student and he asked me if I was going to be "like my brother in his classroom". I rarely ever showed anger when I was a child but I was totally insulted by his question and looked him square in the eye and told him I was nothing like my brother. After that first day, he was the coolest teacher who motivated me enough to make the A/B honor roll for a couple of grading periods.
It is always so wonderful to be able to have exposure to people in different parts of the world. It definitely leaves an impression on you(positive or negative). I think the language barrier is a great variable because it makes one use most all their senses to communication with someone. Thank you for your stories!
ReplyDeleteWhat nice memories, thank you for sharing. I had a wonderful Uncle Otto too! My grandfather and his brother Otto came from Switzerland when they were 2&3 years old. I loved them both dearly. They died one month apart at ages 92 and 93. Both were of sound mind and body and just dropped. What a blessing.
ReplyDeleteToni,
ReplyDeleteAs I read your stories, I could feel the love you have for your parents and your siblings. I was very fortunate to of had two parents that instilled that same sense of love and loyalty between my siblings and myself. We are all adults now and we are all still very close. We email or text daily; talk on the phone at least once a week and we all get together as often as we can. We call each other on birthdays and as our children are growing up, they have been such a power of unity and strength for them as well.
Toni,
ReplyDeleteI loved hearing about your 4th grade teacher and how she made you feel special. I always wondered if I was doing enough to acknowledge each of my students last year when I was teaching kindergarten. It made me happy to see them walk in with a smiling face. Like you my parents have taught my sisters and I to be there for one another. Its funny because my mom and her sisters are not very close but my father and his four siblings are very close. My sisters are still young 18 and 20 and I can only hope that we can continue to be there for each other as you and your siblings are.