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The Gift of Confidence to a Little Girl
The lessons you learn as a child can sometimes last a lifetime.
I grew up in a rather strict family. My father was an immigrant from Italy and my mother was an English Canadian. With both family came first. Education came next. I had two sisters and a brother. My oldest sister was a hard worker and you could always count on her to do the right thing. Everybody liked her. My youngest sister was very smart and a go-getter. My brother was quite handsome and everybody wanted to be his friend.
I was the middle sister and was incredibly shy. I lived in my head a lot, but at home, I was quite the tom-boy. Back in the fifties, there were no exceptions made for learning difficulties. I assumed that I must be the dummy in the family.
I clearly remember hearing most of my elementary teachers saying “If only she would stop daydreaming and pay attention she would do much better.”
My Dad
My father was typical for his time. A chauvinistic man that would provide for his family. He was the head of the household and no wife of his would work outside the home.
He was, however, a feminist for his daughters. He always said we could be anything we wanted to be and he would support us. He said we would never have to stay in a bad marriage because we could support…
