The Friday Five for October 1, 2021
1. Growing up, what sayings/phrases do you remember your mother using? Your father?
I remember my mother asking me "How was school?" and being unable to answer except "fine." With my kids, if I want a proper answer I ask, "What did you do at school today?"
My dad and I argued a lot about the meaning of words and things. We had a set of Encyclopedias (Britannica I think...) and my dad would always declare, " Get the dictionary," or "Look it up."
2. What book/song/other did your parents use to put you to sleep?
My parents were missionaries in Japan so we had a very religeous home. My dad had three songs he sang to me. "Jesus Loves me," "Gott ist Die Liebe" and "What a friend we have in Jesus." I sang the same to my kids - although I only remembered the second German song by ear so I couldn't be sure of the words. It didn't really matter as long as I was singing softly :D My mom tried to sing those too, but I also remember her singing "You are my sunshine."
Both my mom and dad read to me from a children's bible story book. Here is a photo using it as a prop LOL
My mom was a pianist and she used to play the piano as I went to sleep in the next room. It was soothing to hear her play.
3. What did you fight with your siblings over?
I was an only child until 12, when my parents adopted a little baby boy, then further went on to adopt 4 more older children all younger than me, but closer in age. I didn't fight much with them. I fought with my dad when he seemed to be treating the kids unfairly and was sort of their advocate. I spoke Japanese and understood what they were saying better than my parents. I have one sister who is only a few years younger than me, with whom I enjoyed cooking and reading comics etc.
4. Do you and your siblings still fight?
My sister and I are connected on FB but we are not super close. Her husband is an adamant atheist who has forbidden my mom to be with her grandchildren because he is afraid she will convert them or something and I can't forgive him for denying my mom her grandchildren and not letting the kids see both sides and choose for themselves. The oldest of my younger brothers was really rude and hurtful to me for no reason I could understand and I am not on talking terms with him, although I wish him and his family well. Second oldest is the troubled guy I talked about earlier. I hear about him from my mom sometimes and have no ill will but not talking either. My third oldest brother was the first to come to our home as a baby. I took care of him all the time when he was small. He is in a precarious position between the oldest brother and my mother now. I love him but I don't talk to him often. The youngest brother is the most normal of them all and I am closest to him. He came to visit us with his wife. They also look after the well-being of my mom in Canada, and it is a relief to have them there.
5. What was the worst fight you had with any family member?
Probably a fight with my dad sometime. I fought with him a lot. But I don't remember the content of any except that usually it was about the other kids, or how unfair he was being or about some word or other LOL I remember being sent to my room many a time and one or the other parent coming to discuss it with me after I simmered down.
I never felt very close to my adopted siblings except the youngest 2 whom I was like a surrogate mother to but only when they were very young, and they are so far from me that I have given up trying to have any relationship with them. If I lived in Canada, or near them it would probably be vastly different with me being stuck in the middle of all the drama. I'm glad I'm not.
I was quite lonely as an only child, which is one of the reasons why my parents wanted to adopt. I remember really wanting an older sister. I also remember crying when my friends said they had to go home after we had played. I pretended a lot too, playing with my dolls like a person would play both sides of the chess board. Having the sister and brothers did make it a bit better, but it often felt too noisy and busy and I felt better being alone in my room. I think there were just too many kids and too late to become close companions. I was soooo glad to get away from home and live on my own in University and all I truly miss about my family now is my mom.
I remember my mother asking me "How was school?" and being unable to answer except "fine." With my kids, if I want a proper answer I ask, "What did you do at school today?"
My dad and I argued a lot about the meaning of words and things. We had a set of Encyclopedias (Britannica I think...) and my dad would always declare, " Get the dictionary," or "Look it up."
2. What book/song/other did your parents use to put you to sleep?
My parents were missionaries in Japan so we had a very religeous home. My dad had three songs he sang to me. "Jesus Loves me," "Gott ist Die Liebe" and "What a friend we have in Jesus." I sang the same to my kids - although I only remembered the second German song by ear so I couldn't be sure of the words. It didn't really matter as long as I was singing softly :D My mom tried to sing those too, but I also remember her singing "You are my sunshine."
Both my mom and dad read to me from a children's bible story book. Here is a photo using it as a prop LOL
My mom was a pianist and she used to play the piano as I went to sleep in the next room. It was soothing to hear her play.
3. What did you fight with your siblings over?
I was an only child until 12, when my parents adopted a little baby boy, then further went on to adopt 4 more older children all younger than me, but closer in age. I didn't fight much with them. I fought with my dad when he seemed to be treating the kids unfairly and was sort of their advocate. I spoke Japanese and understood what they were saying better than my parents. I have one sister who is only a few years younger than me, with whom I enjoyed cooking and reading comics etc.
4. Do you and your siblings still fight?
My sister and I are connected on FB but we are not super close. Her husband is an adamant atheist who has forbidden my mom to be with her grandchildren because he is afraid she will convert them or something and I can't forgive him for denying my mom her grandchildren and not letting the kids see both sides and choose for themselves. The oldest of my younger brothers was really rude and hurtful to me for no reason I could understand and I am not on talking terms with him, although I wish him and his family well. Second oldest is the troubled guy I talked about earlier. I hear about him from my mom sometimes and have no ill will but not talking either. My third oldest brother was the first to come to our home as a baby. I took care of him all the time when he was small. He is in a precarious position between the oldest brother and my mother now. I love him but I don't talk to him often. The youngest brother is the most normal of them all and I am closest to him. He came to visit us with his wife. They also look after the well-being of my mom in Canada, and it is a relief to have them there.
5. What was the worst fight you had with any family member?
Probably a fight with my dad sometime. I fought with him a lot. But I don't remember the content of any except that usually it was about the other kids, or how unfair he was being or about some word or other LOL I remember being sent to my room many a time and one or the other parent coming to discuss it with me after I simmered down.
I never felt very close to my adopted siblings except the youngest 2 whom I was like a surrogate mother to but only when they were very young, and they are so far from me that I have given up trying to have any relationship with them. If I lived in Canada, or near them it would probably be vastly different with me being stuck in the middle of all the drama. I'm glad I'm not.
I was quite lonely as an only child, which is one of the reasons why my parents wanted to adopt. I remember really wanting an older sister. I also remember crying when my friends said they had to go home after we had played. I pretended a lot too, playing with my dolls like a person would play both sides of the chess board. Having the sister and brothers did make it a bit better, but it often felt too noisy and busy and I felt better being alone in my room. I think there were just too many kids and too late to become close companions. I was soooo glad to get away from home and live on my own in University and all I truly miss about my family now is my mom.