#7

I am so thankful for my childhood. A couple years ago I sat down and for hours wrote about everything I remembered about my childhood. I wrote down the wonderful neighbors, the neighborhood activities we used to do. We made a huge dinosaur out of snow and dyed it green for a family home evening for the neighborhood. Or the time on the 4th of July we had a huge breakfast in our backyard. Each holiday was so fun! We used to project movies on our house, play sports in the street, night games, sleepovers outside,and way too many fun things to name on this blog. I had pages written about each person that was my friend, or example to me from my childhood. There is a song from the Beatles about the old times of a neighborhood and it fits my memory just the way I liked it. I had so many fun things written, but sadly it got erased!!! I need to sit back down and write about it all, so one day my kids can look back on how I was as a child. I could go on and on about how there wasn't many girls in my neighborhood when I was little, so a lot of my friends were boys. I had a good friend named Clint, I would make him play Barbies and watch "Super Girl"! He was a good sport. We took swimming lessons together,and played all the time. If you look in some of the pictures you will see him in it. We used to go around the neighborhood when we were small and not worry about if someone was going to hurt us. I could go on about the activities I liked, then I could go on about each year of my life and the friends I had at that point. I could go on about my best friend Kim and Crystal as a teenager *That would go on forever, we did so many fun things, and wonderful chats*! Maybe in my journal I will have to write each year out and what I remember from that age. However, I don't have alot of time or space to write it all out. To be brief, the reason I am so thankful for my wonderful childhood is becasue I hear of all the abuse that little innocent children are faced with. I hear about the abandonment that many children are used to. I hear about the drug addictions many kids parents have,or the comforting they have to give to their siblings or mother after being beat. I am SO thankful that I had good parents, that I was never hurt or abused in any way or form. My neighborhood and neighbors were great, and there will always be a place in my heart from the time I was really little until now. Many people impacted my life as a child and teenager, and my friends made a huge impact on my actions. I was a good kid and I can look back and say that. But none of that would have mattered if I was in a home where abuse happened. I thank God for a wonderful mom and wonderful dad who loved me and wanted what was best for me. I don't care if we didn't have big toys,fancy vacations every year, or a lot of money growing up. We made our own fun with our imaginations. I would rather be poor yet healthy in all aspects of life anyday. I have too many stories to write down but all I can say is that I am glad I am who I am today becasue of a good childhood. The sad thing is not everyone was able to have that.I am thankful that the only "abuse" that went on in my family was that of the siblings teasing each other with toilet plungers. I can't imagine how my life would have turned out otherwise. I pray for children everywhere that they can have a good happy and innocent childhood.