I am a child of the Depression and there were lessons I learned early. We were taught to stand on our own feet, be strong and independent.
We were advised to care for all our possessions and never waste anything. We were to take responsibilities seriously and to respect authority — whether teachers, preachers, government officials or parents. We were also taught to have compassion for others and help those less fortunate because we all need a helping hand sometimes.
By the time I was 6, I was in my third family because my father died, my mother suffered a nervous breakdown and we six children were scattered to homes in two states. Few people could even take in one child, so my twin brothers were separated. Money and food both were scarce.
I was fortunate because eventually I was adopted by a couple who raised me as an only child and I was happy with a family. I was given music lessons, I was raised in the church, I developed a love of nature and all of God’s creations. I loved to read and my school teachers were skilled, loving people who soon instilled the love of learning in me, and I still enjoy learning something new. I developed my sense of humor and find it essential to keep your balance in this complex world.
At a young age, I met my true love and we were married, although some advised us that we were too young to know what love was all about. They were exactly right. We thought we knew about love, but as the years went by, we learned that we had only touched the tip of the iceberg earlier. Our union resulted in the birth of two daughters and one son, who taught us more about the depth of love.
There was much challenge in the raising of our children and we had the usual good, bad and puzzling times most families have. We each carry wonderful memories of years past and look forward to making more happy memories in the future.
In many ways, our lives have been exciting and rather adventurous. My husband spent time in the Army, then returned to training to become a Green Beret. How proud we all were of him. The strength he developed was reflected in various ways by our family members. We were all led by example to give of our best to our country, our communities and our loved ones.
When our children were grown and making their own way in the world, we began to relax some, but it didn’t last. Just as my husband started to enjoy retirement from 50 years in his field of work, cancer decided to visit our home. He and I both were diagnosed with cancer within six months. We managed to fight it off then, but some years later our older daughter was the target and she lost her battle last year. It is a tragic experience to lose a child. Shortly after, we learned my husband was also a victim for the second time. He put up a valiant fight, but he could not win and he passed away recently.
We’ve had some difficult times lately and will grieve for our loved ones always, but how fortunate for the remaining members of our family that we had these people in our lives. There are many things we learned from them and our memories are filled with adventures and happy times we’ve shared through the years.
Both my husband and I were raised by loving, honest and hard-working parents. We enjoyed saving for big expenses in our lives (like homes) and how proud we were when we got them. We have had wonderful friends in the five states where we’ve lived and we’ve traveled to fascinating places. We have had the blessing of children to share our lives and we had the unusual blessing of growing up and growing old with the one person who was most special to us. The problems we encountered couldn’t drive us apart; they only welded us together and we shared almost 60 years of marriage.
Like everyone, I’ve known sadness and gladness, good health and bad, pride and love of family, confusion, frustration and weariness, and I could concentrate on either the negative or the positive aspects. I choose to be thankful for all the good things. If I dwell on the good things, they appear larger than life; and if I ignore the bad things (as best I can) they tend to shrink. Mostly, I try to keep myself busy and have a good attitude.
Thankfulness? Yes, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for the wonderful experiences of my life, the friends I’ve known, the sights I’ve seen, my ability to see, smell and hear the awesome wonders of this world, the peace God’s given me and, mostly, the lifetime of love I’ve known.
Nancy Spaeth lives in Webb City. She is one of five winners in the Globe’s Thanksgiving essay contest. She will receive a $50 gift certificate to be used at a local grocery store.
