My Personal Childhood Web

Looking back at my childhood, I feel fortunate and blessed to have many wonderful people in my life motivating, inspiring and influencing me to be the person I am today. When I think of the people most important in my life as a child, I think of my father, my mother, my paternal grandparents, my maternal grandparents and my brother. 

 

To give a little background on where I grew up………I grew up in a small community in Sri Lanka where most everyone knew each other and were often related to each other in some way. Both my maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents lived next door to my family. My neighbors were my aunts, uncles and cousins. Our family’s faith and our church was a central part of our lives. 

 

My Father…..

As a child, I remember being asked by people I had never met before ‘Are you Mr. Dias’s daughter?’ I was quite amused by this question but secretly proud that people saw my father’s likeness in me.  I hoped that they would not only see a physical likeness but see some of the wonderful qualities that make my father the amazing person his is, in me. My father showed us the importance of education, what it means to work hard and to be humble no matter what your accomplishments may be. He is still an active member in the church and made sure that we grew up in a family of faith. He always reminded us how blessed we were in many ways and his willingness to help others by any means showed us the importance of helping others. He always encouraged my brother and me to make wise choices for ourselves but also to do what makes us happy. I value his advice greatly and as a wife and mom I still seek his advice when making decisions for my family. One my favorite memories growing up, was looking forward to my father’s return from overseas travel. What made it so exciting was not only to have him back home but what he would bring me; a doll from the country he was visiting. Eventually, I had a huge collection of dolls representing different countries which I still own many years later and hope I can pass on to my own daughter.

 

My Mother ………

One of my favorite memories as a child is helping my mother prepare for Christmas. She would let me sit on the kitchen counter and help her make all kinds of yummy treats for all the family and friends that would visit us. I had so much fun making helping her make lists, shopping together and wrapping gifts for all our relatives.  My Mom dedicated her whole life to our family. She was a stay at home mom and knowing she would be home when I returned from school gave me such a sense of security. She made sure the household ran smoothly, never resting until everyone’s needs were met. In her I saw what it means to place value on your family above all else. Like my father, she too was always willing to help others however she could. Over the years as my grandparents aged, I saw my mother’s load increase as she dedicated herself to not only caring for our family but for both my maternal and paternal grandparents. She instilled in us the importance of respecting our elders and authority, honesty and accepting responsibility for our actions. She was extremely hard working and expected the same from us. Sharing household chores not only taught us a sense of responsibility but taught us life skills that I am grateful for to this day. 

 

My grandparents

When I think of my grandparents the one word I can think of is ‘love’! Living next door to them, I was in an out of their homes more than several times a day. Whenever I needed them they were always there. 

 

My paternal grandparents instilled in me a love of God and I witnessed through their life, the joys that faith brings. I remember sitting on their front doorsteps and singing hymns with them. My grandfather was always available to play with me or chaperone me wherever I needed to go. He was my first student when I played ‘school’ as a four year old. He was my ‘partner in crime’. My grandmother loved to write and would often write poetry about the family. Both grandparents taught me to count my blessings, see the best in everyone and in every situation. They too were always willing to help others however they could. We were all devastated to lose my grandmother about 20 years ago. My grandfather still continues on in faith at the age of 88. 

 

My maternal grandfather and I shared a special bond; we had the same birthday! We often celebrated together. He was very strict but had a soft spot for his grandkids. He was very organized and methodical in his ways. Being allowed to ‘help’ him was an important job because of this and I learned a thing or two about being organized!  He loved music and would play old records for us to dance to. My grandmother loved to make all kinds of sweet treats and made sure we got our share and even made enough for the neighbors. My grandparents hosted the whole family for Christmas dinner every year. What I loved about it was the predictability of the day; the same décor and the same menu each year, the women in the kitchen, the men in the kitchen and us grandkids up to no good! It brought 3 generations together which eventually became four. I experienced the joys of being together as a family and what it means to love, care and respect one another. In my adulthood, I became their caregiver for a short period of time. Our roles were reversed. I am glad I had the opportunity to show them the same love and care they showed me as a child. They both passed away several ago, within three months of each other. I hold onto the many wonderful memories I have of them and carryon the values they instilled in me.

 

My brother         

What can I say…. We were the best of friends and worst of enemies while growing up. He is five years younger than me and the youngest among all the cousins or the ‘baby’ in the family. Growing up as the big sister, I had the attitude ‘no one messes with my brother except me’! We played together, fought over toys, got each other in trouble and covered each other’s backs. As adults we have grown to appreciate each other much more. I turn to him for advice and he to me. What I admire about him is his motivation and focus. Even as a child he would be set on what he wanted to do and did whatever he had to achieve it. Today, he is doing a job he loves after completing a competitive degree program. I think of him when I need some inspiration.