Saturday, April 12, 2008

Home is who you love

Political Event-
I believe that one of the main political events that changed the course of my life was the Vietnam War. When I was nine years old my two brothers had to pick a number in the draft. My oldest brother, Ward, picked a high number and went off to college and never served in the armed forces. My other brother Bobby picked a low number, was drafted, and started receiving letters to register with the Army. He was devastated, my brother Ward loved to hunt, and Bobby fed the deer and birds and brought home stray and injured animals. This was the early 70s and he also experimented with drugs. He was peace, love and Woodstock. He died a tragic death before he could ever go into the army.

This dramatically changed my family and how I viewed life. I believe that the course of these events made it clear to me that family and who you love is what's most important, and that it is the people not the place that make the home. I knew once I became pregnant with my first child my career in the financial corporate world would end and my emerging family would come first. After 13 years of having the privilege to stay home to raise our children I made the decision to go back to school to get certification as an art teacher and continue to be a hands-on parent as my children enter middle school. This will allow me to go back to work and have the same schedule as my children; which my husband and I feel is vital in our ever changing world.

My husband and I have been together for 28 years, married for 18 and have had two children together. There is no question in my mind what home is. Home is who you love.

1 comment:

Anita Allyn said...

very powerfully written Nancy.
I respect your forthrightness and insight. Curious as to how this will reflect in your series for project 3.....