Our lives can be defined as a tapestry. Clear threads, isolated from each other, yet coming together to represent a life. A full potential of being. What threads define you?
I have had a harder time understanding this one, so have been thinking about it lots.
Here is my take on it :
The threads of my life.... I Nora was born to Archibald McLeod Newman and Patricia O'Brien McCulloch in December of 1955... I am the first born.. the oldest, but not necessarily the wisest :) My tapestry has started....
I can remember some things from when I was very young... I remember my mum coming and waking me up.. I guess the next door neighbour found a hamster, and they woke me up to show me.. I was so excited.. I've always had a love for all animals, just not the creepy crawly kind.
I was scared of the dark as a child , so my mum would leave the hall light on... when I lived with my Gran Newman , she also did the same.
I remember my grandmother ( also called Norah ) loved to sing, there was also black wallpaper with flowers on it in her house.
My grandfather ( Tom McCulloch ) had twinkly eyes.. I just remember him always smiling.
I wish I had known them better... I rely on other people to tell me things about that
side of my family... and I'm always excited to learn more.
Another thread of my tapestry would be when my Father, brother and sister and I moved to Greenock. My brother and sister stayed with my Aunt and Uncle, my Father and I with my grandparents and my Uncle David.
I remember when I started school here, I went to Belville Street Primary School
I don't remember a lot about the school, but I remember walking with neighbour kids to go there.
After my Grandad passed away, I slept in with my Gran... she said she would be black and blue from me moving so much... I'm sure not literally. :) but I'm still a restless sleeper now.
I remember sitting in the living room to eat my rice krispies for breakfast,
I would have a towel or tea towel around my neck so I wouldn't get dirty.
Here I am....
Not long after this, another thread of my tapestry began......
My Father got remarried...
Her name was Bridget Keyes, but she was called Bridie.
They were married on the 14th March 1964
I was 8 years old.
She lived in Port Glasgow, so my dad, my brother and myself moved there.
It wasn't far, just the next town over.
She and my brother didn't always get on... but her and I were okay,
until I was 17 years old.
I don't want to talk about it here right now, instead I want to
say I am thankful for the good times we had.
We would all go to Blackpool for a holiday, I remember one time we
went to the Isle of Man.
We did day trips to Dunoon or Millport.. I had
a nice life really.
The next thread of my tapestry is when I moved out
I was 17 years old.... at that time it was a hard time in my life.
I stayed at my friend Helen's for a couple of days, and
then I went to my friend Jean for a time as well.
I am still thankful for Helen and Jean's mother for being so kind to me
at a time when I really needed them.
From Jean's I went to Kilmacolm and stayed at another friend Stacy's.
Stacy and her family are American.
I can't say Thank you enough for what they did.
When it was time for them to move back to the States, I decided to
go to England to be a Nanny.
Another part of my Tapestry begins.......
One of the best decision I made was to go to England.
I was in a Ward at church that I loved, surrounded by people
that I grew to love as well... it was AWESOME !!
We had a youth group here that was just the best.
I was also there with good friends.
I'm the one with my hand over ( Daniel's ) head.
We were there helping with Sis Hine's house...
If I had to pick a colour for the Tapestry for this time in my life
it would have to be yellow, because yellow is the colour of sunshine.
Anytime I think back to this time, it always fills my heart, and makes me smile.
Another thread was shortly after my time in England.
I made the decision to go to Canada.
It was 1976
It was in the middle of winter, and so cold..
I remember that I was having such a hard time settling.
Everything was so different.. I missed my friends back home.
But... this is where I met my husband.
We were married the same year, and I loved Canada. :)
And my Tapestry thread colour would be White
We started our family.. we were blessed to have 3 boys and 1 girl ( that we adopted )
We had the ups and downs of raising a family, but mostly joys..
We would go camping, and went to Yellowstone Park, and Salt Lake City.
We had activities we did.. life was full
And they grew
In 1988 and 1993..... my dad and my brother and my brother's daughter.. passed away.
I would have to say that was the hardest part of life so far.
My dad was only 57, my brother was just 35, but wee Emma was only 5 years old..
The Tapestry thread would be Black
And my life Tapestry goes on.. with Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren,
and I wonder if there's any of me in them
And I wish for them that life would be easier, that they will be happy
and know they are loved
Sometimes my tapestry is weaved in Happiness, Sorrow , Pride,
Love, Regrets but
always its weaved in blessings.
My tapestry would show that I am sensitive ( too sensitive at times )
The threads interweaved with one another, is what makes up
my whole life.
Sometimes part of my tapestry have been torn, but I have had
the opportunity to repair it... sometimes I didn't, at
times I have regretted that I didn't.
My Tapestry is made up of my love of nature, or genealogy
or other things that are of interest to me..
Its made up of friends and family, and
friends who became family.
At times my tapestry has been frayed, tangled, nothing
made sense... but then.....
I turn it over, and each thread is intertwined with
another, to create something beautiful...
this is my life
this is me...
