I certainly was not born into a privileged lifestyle. My Father was a weldor in a huge boiler shop in Oklahoma, and my Mom was a homemaker. My parents were hard working folks that survived the great depression by working free gratis on a farm just to have a place to live. My Mother told me the total amount of income they had in 1931 was one dollar and fifty cents. They survived by bartering and trading food and livestock they raised on the farm they took care of. That experience left them with a deep respect for the success they achieved in their later years. What little money they had, was very appreciated. To say my Mom was frugal was an understatement.
My Dad was able to acquire a small parcel of land by trading his labor to the owner to pay it off. He and my Mom gathered up any used lumber and building materials they could get their hands on and built the first family house. A few years later they were able to acquire a larger piece of land and move that house onto the new property. My Dad continued to add on to the house to accommodate our growing family.
My Father was an orphan and my Mom was raised in poverty in a two room house with six siblings. In spite of how they were raised they were incredible parents. They made sure we were fed and clothed and given the tools we needed to be good people. My Mother was a staunch believer in knowing right from wrong, and being respectful of others. She made sure I had a Christian foundation to build my life on. My Father was a great example for a young man, teaching me the values of hard work, and the pride of knowing how to work with my hands. He taught me how to hunt, fish and to respect firearms, and to never use them for the wrong reasons. My Father always told me if he ever heard of me abusing a woman, I was going to answer to him and it wouldn’t be good.
I had two wonderful sisters, and a younger brother. My sisters are gone now, but my brother and I, and my nephew often get together and reminisce about the incredibly fun times we had in my parents home. They were by no means rich with money, but they were rich with character and class. I miss all of my family that are no longer here, but I certainly cherish their memories. I cherish all of life’s lessons that my parents taught all of us.
I have many, many things to be Thankful for, too numerous to mention. I am very fortunate in so many ways. However, I hope that the lessons I learned from my parents, and passed on to my daughters, will be carried forward and bless the lives of future generations. So far so good, I am blessed with a large group of Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren that are doing well in life. How good is that?
In summary, my parents ultimately taught me that family, people and relationships are the real wealth in life. I am thankful for that.
VERITAS VINCIT ~ LIVE FREE OR DIE
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