The Woman who influnced me most of all

Even as a little girl when I was about 7 years old…………. I remember Aunt Bobbi coming into my bedroom while the adults were talking downstairs at my grandmother’s home. I lived there with my Dad as my mother was very sick and away for many years. Aunt Bobbi told me as I played with my dolls that as I grew older I would trade my dolls for perfume and jewelry. That was so hard for me to grasp – giving up my dolls.
Later on she and Uncle Sammy gave me my first radio, and I had it on quietly in my bedroom, so that it wasn’t taken away from me.
Then when I was 10 years old my grandmother and I babysat Aunt Bobbie’s 3 children on Saturday nights so she and Uncle Sammy could have date night. By the time I was 12, I babysat alone, and spent the night, and talked to Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Sammy for many hours about how hard it was to live with Nanny, my grandmother. She just did not understand me and told me I was a very difficult child – which I believed I was. This went on for about a year, and then one evening when Aunt Bobbi came by to visit my grandmother after choir practice, I was mopping the floor and crying. She asked me what was wrong – I told her again, Nanny and I had yet another fight. Then she said to me – “would you like to come live with us”? “Yes, I would”, I said. So she went in to talk with my Grandmother. “Mother Martin – would you like us to take JoyceAnne to live with us?”
And she said: “Bobbi maybe you can do something with her”
And so a trial visit of one week was set up with Aunt Bobbi, Uncle Sammy and their 3 children. One week later I called my Dad and said – “bring over the rest of my clothes, I love it here and want to stay”.
In looking back over the years of 14 to 21 – I can honestly say ‘they were the happiest years of my life.’
Truly the world for my Aunt and Uncle was storybook! How lucky for me to live those years with a storybook family.
I was raised in my teenage years of surprises, challenges and gifts in the 50’s - with love, compassion and autonomy.
I believe I turned out as well as I did because my Aunt was also my best friend, and where that may not worked with everyone – it worked for me!
Aunt Bobbi was the greatest influence in my life – which carried over to who I have become.