Me aka Sammy Jo
Why do I have a website? Well, it's like the guy who says, Hey, I won this T-shirt. I won the website.
Who is Jo Anne you ask? I usually say I'm nobody from nowhere, then I remember I'm a writer and writers are somebody. The biggest perk is being able to hang out with other writers. I may never be recognized as a great writer, but judging from the friends I have made I am truly successful.
I was even successful as a kid. I had the most wonderful parents in the world. Because they had a hard childhood, they made certain that my siblings and I had the opportunity to play, to just be children. The values they instilled in me have been with me since. They taught me to have integrity, honesty, compassion for those who had less, and to share what I had if I had more. I was taught that in order to obtain the things I desired, I must earn them by merit or I would never truly know their value. The most valuable gift I received from my parents was encouragement to be myself, and to use my own judgment in most matters. But, if I was unable to do this, I had no reluctance in asking for their advice.
Even though these lessons were the foundation for my life, I'll admit I made some wrong choices, especially in my late teens. Thankfully, there were no harmful consequences, only the embarrassing knowledge that I didn't live up to what I considered to be their expectations. The ultimate lesson I learned was that parents do know best. Because of the wide spectrum of love and understanding, I was able to admit this. Usually, most of my unruly incidents were settled with laughter, and never-ending teasing by the entire family. As I grew older, I found that the values my parents gave me kept me in good stead, especially aboutearning. On our dining room wall was a framed family crest and motto: Nahil sine labore. Nothing without labor.
My own children were born in the '50's, and I hope I have passed these values on to my sons. It was more difficult, because in the '60's they were faced with different circumstances, especially in their schools. Dress codes disappeared, along with discipline. For a time, they could not understand why they had to work for what they wanted when their friends were handed rewards with no labor. If they had chores around the house, the parents paid for this service. My sons received an allowance, but were not paid extra to mow the lawn, take out trash, etc. The family home belonged to all, and all were expected to do our share to maintain it.
I passed these gifts from my parents on to my children, and I hope they will carry on. I think they will. When a problem comes up, my older son shakes his head and laughs, saying: Nahil sine labore.
Nothing without labor.
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