My Life Before Mom and Dad

Thank You, Grandmother for Taking Care of Me

Stevens Courts was and still is Texarkana housing. In the 1950s, it was a red brick haven for me the first three years of my life. There I was born, delivered by my Grandmother. While I know today that the Courts were built for those who had little money, I never felt deprived. Short memories are probably God-sent. I ate well. I had my own bed and room and lots of cousins to play with. I have pictures that show that I could have been considered a princess by all the standards that princess carry. I had the flouncy dresses and socks with laced trim inside my white high tops. My hair had beautiful barrettes and I laughed a lot. At least according to my pictures and the stories my aunts would tell.
     But, my life was created by the melding of two hearts. I like to believe that. I also believe that their tale will shed light on the complications of relationships, especially with the barriers before them. Color issues. Societal issues. Men and women issues.
     I would say that I am the luckiest of people in having come from these two individuals, but a child doesn't think that way. The child in me was safe and secure at the start of my life, but then there was upheavals that once made me slightly bitter. Taking parts of the story, I've grieved tremendously. But, then I tell a story or lesson from my childhood and know that it wasn't bad after all.
     Would my life have been different if I had stayed in East Texas? Most definitely. And I wouldn't be able to say which direction my life would have taken. Some of my cousins didn't fare well. Others did. East Texas was a place where bigotry was the norm. In many ways, I think my father did me the greatest service in taking us away. I know now that he was running away from some things that plagued him--demons, if you will. He had the best reasons for moving us to a land where bigotry was low on the totem pole and he had enough on his plate to deal with. I'll share these over time.
     For all of his problems, this is what he leaves me. He built a construction company that stands today, one his nephew ran until he death a couple of years ago at age 74. There's a McCary subdivision in New Mexico. A legacy. Mine and my siblings. Yes, some of it is marred by the negative, but to look at it in bits and pieces and then step back and view the entire landscape makes me realize that the idea of a princess still fits. I am the daughter of royalty, strong genetics and an impeccable pedigree. I came from the two people whose role in my life makes me who I am. And that's saying something.
     Next: Family Dynamics