A Family In Genre

Dad always kept us children in suspense with his historical jokes.
Mom, however, kept us entertained with children’s fiction books and kept
us on the straight and narrow with inspirational prayers and poems.

Our grandmother was filled with romance & young adult tales of her younger days.

Before Dad became totally blind 8 years ago,
I would purchase or rent him Western videos.
He would look at John Wayne for hours,
while I sat & devoured fiction books and mystery series.

My younger sisters read children's fiction,
and my older brother lived in fantasy land
about the loves of his life.

We lived in a 6-story tenement building in New York City—The Big Apple!
We heard horror stories of murder & mayhem in nearby neighborhoods.
It was a thriller adventure avoiding strangers while out riding our bikes.

There were no beaches nearby,
so the library became my sanctuary & safe place to escape for a while.
I spent hours there.

I would not trade my family upbringing, neighborhood, or experiences
because the journey shaped me to become the fearless,
faithful, encouraging woman I am today!

By Viv Morton – Chapin Library