My Childhood Web

The people listed below are the people who beginning during childhood through to adult hood have cared for, nurtured, loved, made me feel special and influenced that person I have grown to become.



My Mother:
My mom is tenacious, intelligent, loving, nurturing, and strong. She has directly and indirectly instilled so much of her in me. She always made me feel important and loved. I learned from her the importance of putting my best foot forward and letting all the rest fall away. She also taught me how to keep myself in check! She never discouraged my passionate feelings about anything but rather challenged me to channel them and to be in control of them rather than let them control me. 
 
My Father:
My father is intelligent, level headed, loving and patient. My father has always been a strong supporter. My dad has a calm and steady presence. I learned from him the importance of organizing your priorities and thinking one step ahead. My father has taught me how love can be understated and strong. I recognize different forms of love in others as a result of his ways of showing love. His love wasn't shown through lots of hugs and kisses but by being a constant guiding presence. He ensured that we were prepared for any endeavor whether it be that the car was prepared for the daily commute to school or that we had and knew everything we needed when it was time to leave for college.

My Sisters: Kheshia and Kayla

My sisters are my first and forever friends. Kheshia is loving and nurturing. She has amazing passion and empathy. She is my older sister and she helped to carve the path for my life. She has and is always willing to listen and give advice. She is my go to for sharing new ideas because she masterfully sees the positives and negatives and shares them in a way that is empowering. Kayla is my buddy! She brings out the humorous side of me. I there is a part of both of us that just clicks and we understand each other's playful and childlike side. Kayla has taught me the importance of directing opinion and energy exactly where you want it for maximum impact. She doesn't waste energy concerning herself with small things. However when she really cares she is sure to voice her opinion and feeling strongly. By doing this her presence is made known and valued. Being that I am sandwiched in the middle by birth order my sisters have taught me how to be a leader and a follower. How to carve out a path that is unique and individualized to me and when to follow in anther's footsteps.

My Friends: Danielle and Belen

Danielle and Belen make up my longest standing friendships. We have been friends since the 3rd grade (16 years!). Throughout our time together these ladies have taught me the power and love of true friendship. Danielle is strong minded and one of the smartest people I know. She has strong opinions and is not afraid to share them. She is open minded with a huge giving heart. Belen is extremely passionate, she too has strong opinions. To me Belen represents the world, she takes on many worldly things such as politics, music, health issues and culture and embraces them making up a well rounded mind and spirit. She has a big beautiful smile accompanied by a warm laugh. Both of these ladies fight fiercely for their ideas and those who they care about. They helped to form my identity outside of my family. They share the same family values with their families as I do with mine but have shown how these values can manifest in various ways. It is so rare to grow up and maintain a friendship like ours over childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. I am so blessed and honored to have had such amazing positive influences on my education, personal identity, and spirit.