I've been thinking about our theme this month, The Path and our host Donna Smith at Mainely Write thoughts along with the other members of this group....I would have to say my path has not been straight or easy. Let me tell you a story about a girl born in the south in the fifties, when girls were not important except to clean house, have babies and keep their mouths shut. Except this girl had a Yankee mother... that's right folks... I had a mother that would throw coffee cups at my daddy's hard head and spoke her mind.
You're special Patty Jean.... don't let people put you in a box... spread your wings, she would say.
You can do anything... you're smart, and beautiful... you don't need a husband to be happy, she would say.
If you want it... go for it, she would say.So I did.
I was a rebel with the family... not bowing down to my daddy's seven sisters that wanted to make me into the perfect southern lady and when I wouldn't bend to their wishes I was bad or wild because I dated different boys every week (a little hint here... boys love girls that don't fall for them... I had ten marriage proposals before I was 16)
I had a wonderful childhood.... playing ball like a boy, riding my horse, chasing piglets and loving my dogs. One of my annoying actions was singing while I was swinging high... reaching for the sky ... sing at the top of my lungs and not caring that the country neighbors didn't love my off key performance.
My senior year everything was set... college, vet school or horse trainer or something exciting. But then I met this blue eyed devil and bam I was a girl... I've loved him for 49 years and this was where my easy path got bumpy and narrow. My parents hated him of course. He was going to hold me back... he wasn't good enough for their unstoppable daughter. Well I married him three weeks after graduation and had his baby seven months after that.
Let me tell you something... life was great in that small two room house my granddaddy let us live in. This wild crazy always going girl had a husband and baby and I loved it. Oh, times were hard where bills were concern. I always had anything and everything I wanted or needed but now well money was tight.Four years later, I had my son and then the kids were in school and we was building a house and I had a job and he had a job that involved school and we were busy busy busy for the next 18 years.
Then the kids finished school and it was just me and him again. Just when we was enjoying life as a couple again... My husband had a life changing accident. He was unable to work, or ride horses or dance. Money was tight again but we got closer. We played cards, watched football, talked on the front porch.
So, my path has leveled out and the going is easy. I discovered while I traveled this path that God's everyday blessings are all you need to be happy. To be loved by family and friends are treasures. And the other stuff... the what ifs are just rocks to trip you on your
path to a good life.
