Where I'm From

I am from the view finder on the back of my camera.  It all started out with a Polaroid when I was a child.  To this day I am the family photographer.

I am from the swimming pool.  I am from books, especially Nancy Drew, that I read under my covers with a flash light long after my parents sent me to bed.

And I am from riding my bike around the neighborhood until we would hear my dad whistle that loud ear piercing whistle.  Everyone in the neighborhood knew that was Mr. Branz and it was time for us to head home.

I am from the crashing waves of the ocean carrying me to shore over and over again as I swim back out to body surf.  I am from the power of the ocean can calm and refresh my soul.

                                                  

I am from every holiday spent together sharing huge meals and family spilling out of the dining room and kitchen finding places to eat.  I'm from Branzs and Baumanns and now, from Patricks.

I am from being at church every time the doors were open and from the home where people loved to come to have a good time and to have Bible study.  I am from going to the beach any chance we could.  I'm from summers on the Jersey Shore.

I am from "You can be whatever you want to be" and "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all."  I always wondered what I was supposed to do with those negative feelings that we weren't supposed to express. 

I am from nondenominational church and from Bible school and from being told from earliest memory that my heavenly Father loved me.  I am from watching my mom & dad pray together every morning.

I am from Serbia and the Tyrolean Alps and Germany and Wales.  I am an American mutt.  I am from Gnocchi and pot roast.  The pot roast was any Sunday that the Steelers were playing.  My mom put the pot roast in the crock pot before church, so she wouldn't have to cook when we got home.  We could just eat and watch the Steelers on tray tables in the family room!

I am from a good work ethic; my dad working so hard to establish his practice.  He would come home, eat dinner, spend time with us and head back out to work.  He worked hard so he could take us to the beach. 

I am from my grandma taking me to the symphony and the ballet and sitting on her front porch to watch the parades go by, while drinking root beer floats that we called "brown cows".

I am from the prayers of my mother.

I am from my grandparents summer home in Florida (a silver AirStream).  Where we would get to enjoy seeing our dad relax.

I am from my siblings, fighting, loving, catching lightening bugs, playing badminton, going to swim meets.

I am from listening to my mom's stereo and all her albums every Saturday as we cleaned house. 

Most of all, I am from love.

This is a writing excercise called "Where I'm From".  You can get the template for it here. Try it and let me know what you think!

From His Lap,