Dolores Rupert - Mother I would have to say that my mother has to be who has influenced me the most. She instilled strength in me. For my first nine years, she was a single mom and is a breast cancer survivor. She always showed me the positive side of things and how to look at life and truly enjoy it. She decorated for every holiday and she always had a knack for doing special little "extras" for me like putting notes in my lunch box that would say " I love you so much" or "Good luck on your spelling test today!" and cutting my sandwich in the shape of a heart on Valentine's Day. This made me feel loved and special. I never questioned that with my mom. I find that I do many of these same things with my daughter. I write notes and put them in her lunch, we both get excited for holidays and I think that because of my mom's illness, I tend to look around and see life as being something very fleeting and try to enjoy all of the little things that my daughter and I share.
Mrs. Kathy McClintock - 3rd grade teacher I was new to Elmwood Elementary in the fall of '86. My mom had just remarried, we moved to a new town and I had a new baby sister on the way. Everything in my life changed. I felt so lost because of everything new that was happening in my mom's life. Somehow, I think me teacher sensed that. She gave me extra attention that I think she new I needed. She was fun and kind and everything a child could ask for. However, the one thing that I will always remember is when I lost my math homework for another teacher. That teacher was going to keep me after school. I had really done the homework but couldn't find it in my messy book bag. No one at home was checking my homework anymore (something that got lost in the fray of the new changes in my mom's life). Mrs. McClintock took the time to help me uncrumple and look through each paper in my bag. We did find my homework and I don't think I will ever forget that. She has taught me to look beyond the exterior of a student. When a student doesn't have homework or they are unorganized, perhaps there is an underlying reason. She taught me to treat each child as wonderful and special.
Kathy Rupert - grandmother My grandmother didn't come in to my life until I was 9 years old, but she never made me feel like I was anything less than her very own biological granddaughter. She was so much fun. She would take me for my whole Christmas break. We would do fun crafts, watch movies and bake. She didn't talk down to me, but treated me like a person. What I liked the most, was that she taught me how to do so many things like crocheting, baking, painting, wood carving and more. While most adults would push me away like I was getting in the way, she invited me in to learn and actually wanted to hear what I had to say. Her influence is still with me today. I am a crafty girl and I attribute that to my grandma! I am passing it down to my daughter as well. I am teaching her how to make the crafts that she is interested in and encouraging her to let her creative spirit fly. What I love best is the conversations we have when we are crafting. they come naturally and easy...just like they did with my grandma.
Harold Kleman -grandfather My grandfather was the only adult male figure I had in my life until I was nine years old. He was a family man, liked to drink his coffee, relax by the tv watching John Wayne movies and Lawrence Welk and going fishing. A strong memory of my grandpa was what a family man he was. He loved his family, spent time with them, didn't talk down to them and always ate supper at the table with the family. To me, my grandpa influenced the type of man I was looking for in my life. Whether I realized it or not, my grandpa became a measuring stick for relationships in my life. I would look for those qualities in the people I dated. I feel so fortunate to have had him in my life and in the way he influenced my choices.
My Aunts (Laura, Pansie, Patty and Theresa) I am grouping my aunts as an influence in my life because they taught me that family takes care of each other and sticks together. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 34 years old and a single mom. She had a double mastectomy and spent significant amounts of time in the hospital, especially when her body rejected her breast reconstruction. My family, and especially my aunts, gathered me up and took care of me as their own. They were mindful of the things they said so I wouldn't worry and tried to provide me with as much normalcy as possible. I missed my mom terribly, yet at the same time, I felt at home with them and knew that I would always be okay with them near. Their influence on me has been that I am a very family-oriented person to this day. When your family is down, you need to step to the plate and help them out of whatever difficulty they are going through.
