Carolanne - Part 1 - I Was A Child

I started this blog so that visitors can find out more about me without the poor ol' friends having to hear it all over again. There's only so much I can say in one blog post and in a profile. So here goes:

Born on October 8th, 1965, I was the first girl to arrive in a family that would later grow to 6 children. On the day of my birth, my brothers were 3.5 years and 2.5 years older than me and it was 14 months after my birth, that the twins were born - a sister and another brother. The 6th child, who is my 2nd sister was born 6 years and one week after me.

My dad was a mechanic who worked long hours but who was also committed to his wife and to his children. I adored my dad and one of my fondest memories was walking up the street, hand in his hand, talking with him about my future.

Mum was a stay-at-home mum who was always there for us especially when we got home from school. We attended school daily and had to be on our death beds to get a day off. Mum loved dad and together they created a safe and happy environment for us. Their commitment to God and then to church was a strong foundation for all of us and now that we are all grown up with children of our own, we are all still applying those principles/commitments in our own homes.

I have a lot of memories of "waiting" for something to happen. When we were moving house, I remember sitting out in the playground, next to the milk bottles, waiting to be picked up to go to our new home. Of course, these days I would have been kept in the classroom and signed out but in those days, things were a little different.... safer.

Early on at my "new" school, I was nearly 6 and told mum that I could walk home by myself. I knew the way and my mum believed me. I crossed the wrong road and the lollipop lady tried to tell me I was going the wrong way but I insisted this was the right way. I kept walking and walking until I admitted to myself that I was lost and sat down on a small brick fence and waited.

A lady came past and tried to ask me who I was and where I was going but, aware of "stranger danger" I didn't say anything. She went home and got her own children and then I trusted her. She called mum and then dropped me off at home. My poor mother was heavily pregnant with her sixth child.

As I sit here and think about those times they do, even now, reflect part of who and why I am who I am. I am willing to wait for someone I love but am also willing to find my own way home. I know what is right and what is wrong but will sometimes have to try it out for myself and come to my own conclusions despite your advice. I keep walking until finally I am forced to stop and wait for someone to help me. I was quite a trusting child, if independent. But then again, in a family of 6 children - and being the middle child, independence was probably one of those things that had to happen.