'I am from'

I am from being chased by my twin sister from upstairs to downstairs, to up the street to down the street and all while trying to hold on to my Laffy Taffy while trying to make my escape. I am from the youngest of six with a twin sister, 3other sisters, and one brother…A house of one room, a bonus room and a attic room all used to house a family of eight; one bathroom, with one shower and no tub. A kitchen big enough for only a family of two children and two adults yet, had six of us in it at one time. A house where there was never enough to eat unless it was something you really hated. A brother who ate anything and everything at any given time. I am from a garden with tomatoes, strawberries, and cucumbers planted by my father but up kept by us kids. Where we constantly mowed grass and pulled weeds. The smell of the strawberries in the stores take me back to a chore I hated but, a resulted I loved. To where you would sneak bites when no one else was looking. I am from going out to dinners on Friday nights and going bowling every Sunday. Staying the weekend with my sister and listening to Randy Travis and taking care of my nephew and niece. I am from going to my sister’s house and going to church with her and her family, and finally feeling like someone cared about what happened to me in life. I am from watching Wheel of Fourtune and parents who never gave you a chance to figure out the puzzle before them and The Twilight Zone and acting like what was happening on TV was real. I am from brown hair, and brown eyes. Pasty colored mother and siblings, dark completion father who passed the Indian colors to me. I am from Aunt Jinixs, Nannie and Papa, crazy Aunt Dixie and Uncle Darrel, Aunt Peggy and Michael from the Loomis-Gabel namesakes.
I am from mom going to the store to get cigarettes and sitting in her car to eat a snickers candy bar and drink a Pepsi before coming. I am from dad eating sunflower seeds in the front yard and throwing the shells behind him without looking. I am from “What’s for dinner?” and getting “food”, “what kind of food?” “The kind you eat.” I am from “because I said so,” and “I’m going to tell mom,” and being told “I’ll tell her for you”. I am from going to church every Sunday at Eastern Gate, and than Mt. Zion. To being picked up by Pearl, than by Carolyn. I am from having bible scriptures used as a way of punishment to a way of understanding. I am from a church that saw the little girl, to a church that now see’s and love the women I am now. I am from California, Oklahoma and Missouri, from eating sauerkraut and sausage, spaghetti, fried potatoes, meatloaf and mac and cheese. I am from Aunt Peggy living with Grandma and living there still, about Kathy getting married at seventeen and having her first child three months later after telling everyone she wasn’t pregnant. I am from my sister Jean doing a scrap booking of all the family pictures of four or five different albums. I am from a two-story house, which my parents still live in that has seen its better days. I am from not having dogs growing up to my parents having a dog that they treat like one of their kids. I am from the country and listening to KTTS, to listen to 88.3 and following what God has planned for my family. I am from not understanding why I got dealt the life I did, to still not knowing but, accepting. To know there is more to life than what you have but, its what you do. To making friends that I am not ashamed to introduce to others, and leaving friends that aren't healthy for me behind. I am from moving froward in life, and asking 'What If'. I am from 1978!