My Father
When I think of the building blocks that shaped the person I am today, I must begin with the family into which I was born. I have already written about about my mother, without whom none of my story would exist. Standing beside her, equally influential in my earliest years, was my father.
My father was not the cuddling or snuggling type. Affection, in the traditional sense, was not his language. Instead, he expresses himself through expectations, structure and the standards he set for our home. We were raised to be seen, not heard, and to make sure chores were finished before play. These habits, instilled so early in my childhood, have followed me throughout my life and served me in more ways that I can measure.
There was a rhythm and routine in our household, and my father’s presence set the tone. He shaped our days, our responsibilities, and ultimately the discipline that carried me into adulthood. Looking back, I can see how those early patterns became the foundation of who I am: hardworking and deeply committed to the responsibilities placed before me.
Read More From Nancy
My Grandparents
With both my parents working full-time, I was fortunate to have my grandparents close by. My father’s mother, Nana, lived on one side of our duplex, while my mother’s parents lived right next door. My grandparents were constants in my young life, bringing rhythm, warmth and steadiness to my days. Life with them was filled with simple, grounding […]
A Two-Dollar Tax Bill
At first glance, this is hardly the kind of family keepsake anyone would expect to survive for more than a century. It is simply a tax bill from the City of Malden, dated 1916, notifying my grandfather, James Hannigan, that he owed two dollars in state and county taxes. Yet this small piece of paper […]
Boot & Show Workers Union Dues Book
When I first picked up this small dues book, I thought of it as simply another family keepsake. The more I learned about it, however, the more I realized it represented one of the first chapters of my grandfather’s life in America. This was the 1915 membership book of the Boot and Shoe Workers’ Union, […]
