My Role Models Aren't on TV

There is always talk about role models for young females and males in our society, especially African American youth. Mistakenly this position is placed on athletes and celebrity artists. My role models have not been on television or song in concerts. They don't have personal drivers and assistants. My greatest role models have been in my own family. As a new mother I realize the impact and lessons I learned from my family in developing into this new role. My whole life has been in preparation for  my life right now and I am so very grateful to God to have been born into my Lee family.

These are the women who shaped me.

My Grandmother (paternal), Colinza, was with me for only 7 years of my life before her untimely passing, but in those 7 years she instilled in me as much of her love as she could give a little girl. My fondest memories are of my weekends at her home, sleeping next to her in bed and walking with her to my uncle's store to get some candy and a little toy. As her only grandchild I could do no wrong. :-)

My Grandmother (maternal), Lucy, was a great example of beauty, love and faith. She was a quiet and reserved woman who had so much love in her heart even my friends considered her their own grandmother. She showed me how a Grandmother's love can enhance the life of her grandchild. She was a pure example of God's love here on earth and a wonderful example of a wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. One of her best traits was her financial sense and frugality. This is a trait I'm still trying to incorporate in my own life.

My Aunts. My Aunt "K" showed me examples of grace and love for self and family. My Aunt "F" was the first woman I personally knew who chose to breast fed her children. This made a tremendous impression on me as an 11 year old girl. Even at that early age, from her example, I knew I too would choose to do the same for my child. The love my Aunts have is not only expressed for their children (and grandchildren), but for their nieces and nephews as well, of whom I'm blessed to be included.

My Mother. There are not enough words to express what she has given to me. For most of my life she raised me as a single woman. While there were some unmet wants in my life as a child (e.g. a horse, when I was growing up there were horses "in the hood" so I didn't understand why we couldn't have one - LOL), there were never unmet needs. I had more in my life than many children with two parents. Regardless of things I had her and her wonderful example of hard work and motherly love. It was because of her example of the importance of education (returning to complete her Bachelors Degree after her divorce from my biological dad) that as a child my goal was not only to attend college, but graduate school as well. She never demanded this of me, but her example and sacrifice made it an important goal in my life. To me she was, and is, a fabulous mother and in these past 3 months she has already shown herself to be a terrific grandmother, following the example of her mother and my grandmother.

I am often asked why I chose the name Lee for my son. It is because of the men and women in my Lee family who have shaped me into the woman I am today that I wanted my son to carry that name. We are far from perfect, but even with the faults there is great strength, tremendous love and a strong sense of family that was instilled through the example of my Grandparents Lucy and Johnnie Lee, down to their children and in me and now in my son.

Remembering to Count it All Joy!

New Roles

January 25, 2013

When I last posted in this blog I had been married for 5 months (November 2011). Now I'm not only a new bride, I believe I'll call myself a new bride until our 5th or maybe 10th anniversary, I'm also a new mother. As such I decided to change the name of this blog to reflect the changes in my life.

I'm still trying to learn my role as a wife and now I have added to that with the wonderful gift of motherhood. A blessing with it's own challenges and surprises and ever growing love for this new human being. Nothing like marriage and motherhood to make you truly understand the importance of prayer and studying the Word of God. :-)

My future posts will examine things I have learned and the feelings I am working through as I continue on this path of enlightment in the roles of newlywed and mother.

Stay Tuned. . .