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My mother was born on the southside of Chicago to a very vibration woman from what I’ve heard. I heard that my grandmother was the life of the party and always the best dress too. She died when my mother was seven from cancer. My mom use to tell me this story of how her mother was in and out of the hospital, especially after having her baby brother. One day she didn’t come back. That my folks is the day that I feel she went into survival mode, could you imagine at seven years old in the home with your brothers family (whom by the way, were not good people) without a mother. I told you that she was motherless and moved in with her aunt. She became the responsible one, the one who figured it out, and learned from other’s experiences but mostly her own. In so many ways, her and I are alike, I used to think we had nothing in common because I turned out so different from her. I was never the kid that needed to touch the hot iron, If you told me or showed me that it was hot – I believed you- I learned from other people experiences.  She moved to the West side of Chicago when she was in her teens. She loved to be outside, always the life of the party but could just be a go with the flow to kind of girl.
Now my dad was born and raised on the West side of Chicago, and he will not let you forget it. He can name off streets, people and what used to be from the top of his head so quickly. Now don’t ask him about a suburb because he is going to tell you he is from the West side and only dabbed on the south side but doesn’t know anything about them suburbs. When I became older, I learned the importance of what side of town you are from. You meet someone from Chicago, you better believe “Where you from” is in the top five questions. My dad’s mother and father married young and divorced older LOL. My grandmother moved in with my Great Granny and never left. I of course received a different Grandmother and Great Grandmother than my dad, but I can say that what was consistent is that where they were located was Home. God, Three meals a day on the table, and pure love. My dad came from a cracked home but not broken in my eyes. He was the wild child, you know the one that they prayed for the most. He also enjoyed being outside, always the life of the party but could just be a go with the flow kind of guy.
My parents literally ran with the same people. My dad with his two best friends ( Whom are my uncles and are in one another’s lives still today) and my mom two best friends ( I don’t know where them chicks are). Her two best friends went with my dad’s two best friends, and I’m sure you get who else went together. They were both part of dance groups called: The Baby Dolls and Push Boys. They would go to the game room to hang out and I guess play games. Now here is where I tell you that they went together real bad and get to the part that always felt normal to me but apparently, it’s not. My mom lived with my Grandparents in her teens. I would like to think that my Great Granny seen that she needed something. I would like to think that she wanted to give this little girl a home. Now my Granny didn’t play about GOD or with God. So her solution was that my dad had to move out, no funny business under her roof. I hate to say it, but it didn’t stop no show!
My mother became pregnant before me and some weeks later became pregnant with me. I never told you that she wasn’t a fast-tale little girl but what I did tell you was that she was motherless, raised by a few folks.