It's Never Too Late...

To Have a Happy Childhood

I think all of us would like to erase a few bad memories from our childhood and even go so far as to burn the pictures that serve as documented evidence of our jacked up teeth, bad hair and bird nest bangs, acid washed denim, hammer pants, tube socks, tucked-in oversized t-shirts with momma jeans and Reebok’s, and who can forget our neon-colored braces. Whew! This list could go on for days! At some point, we were all picked on as children. I was a proud member of the “Itty Bitty Titty Committee” from 6th grade through graduation.

Newsflash: They are still itty bitty! But it's funny how something you hated 10 years ago can become one of your favorite body parts. I'm edging closer to 30 every day, and they are perky as ever! No fighting gravity for this girl! Aside from the obvious growing pains that accompany childhood, when I think about my adolescence, I can’t really recall a whole lot of good or bad memories. My life was simple. I read a lot of books and played by myself most days, teaching my stuffed animals school lessons or checking out library books for them. My parents didn’t make a lot of money, but they somehow came up with Catholic school tuition for 7 years until we moved to a better school district. I am eternally grateful for their decision to invest in my education. I think it’s the best thing they ever did for me. When I needed a new dress for a dance, a cheerleading jacket, or a total prom makeover, they never complained about forking over the money. I am grateful for having dinner together as a family rather than TV traying it up in front of the boob tube without talking. I am thankful for the fact that I could talk to my mom about everything, and I could ask my dad to fix anything (this was especially helpful when I got a car.) I thank my mom for teaching me to accept others for who they are, and I thank my dad for teaching me to be intuitive and for showing me how to take care of myself in difficult situations. These memories are easy to hold onto, but the point of Mr. Lindsay’s challenge is to let go of the bad past that we still carry into adulthood. This is something I need to desperately work on. It’s time to let go of the fact that my dad chose alcohol and other things over me and left my mom to be the one to “show up.” I need to realize he’s only human, and his addiction got the best of him. It's time to forgive the fact my mom would not know how to be stronger and stand on her own two feet until years after I left home. It’s time to understand that no matter how much I have been hurt or how lost I may feel sometimes, my childhood was the product of two people doing the best they could with what they had. Through all the mistakes, they loved me. It’s Never Too Late to have a Happy Childhood… Draw a line. Accept the past as a lesson for the future. Praise yourself for surviving. Use that strength. Look ahead and smile with anticipation.