Family and Extended Family

Good day all and peace be with you,
When I was born, my parents had friends that were pregnant and due at the same time. Turns out my parents friends were also pregnant with a boy. Four days before I was born one of my best friends (effectively my brother as we were and are so close) was born in the same hospital. We often lived close to each other (on the south side of Lakeland, Florida, which was just north of Mulberry) and of course got into all kinds of mischief together. I could write hundreds of pages of all the things we did without thinking about the consequences (Using circular saw blades as frisbees in never a good idea). However, I will spare you. 

We attended Mulberry Church of God in Mulberry, Florida. My grandmother (mom's mom - Lavon) ran the daycare and pre-k. My grandmother's brother (Uncle Bobby) was a pastor there, my mom's brother (Davie) was a youth pastor. This was at all different times. Although, some time periods may have overlapped. My mom worked there as a clerk as well for a period of time. As you can imagine, I was at the church and school often, and there were a lot of people that could keep an eye on me. 

For a while, there were a core group of kids that were at the school. We all grew into great friends as I'd also see them in church on Sunday and Wednesdays. I do remember when we were 5 years old or younger, I had one of my good girl friends over to spend the night. I remember we had hot dogs. I'm sure it was a Friday because the next morning I remember watching cartoons with her. I don't know if she remembers this, but if she wants to comment on this post, she is welcome. Haha. I see mostly all of what I call "my extended family" on social media today, and think, my how times have changed. Most all of us have kids, which is crazy to think about. Some have had their lives cut short and gone to meet our Lord and are experiencing His love up close. What an amazing thought! 

The group of us, y'all know who you are, have become good citizens. My hope is that, although I don't get to talk to you much these days, you have remained steadfast in Christ while continuing to pursue His love and mysteries. You and your families were part of the foundation for my growth as a man. You will always remain close to my heart.  

Along with "my extended family", I'm almost certain we were baptized around the age of 5 at Mulberry Church of God, after receiving Jesus into our hearts. 

Back track a year, in 1987, my little sister, Amanda, was born. She came into this world a little different than me. She was not the baby that sat in the middle of the living room playing for hours; she pushed the limits. She competed often with her older brother, who at the time wasn't super competitive but imagine I liked to push her buttons. I can still hear her shrieking squeaky voice, "AH!" every time I tried to "help" her. From the moment she could eat solids til I was about 30, I didn't eat salads because she didn't eat salads. She didn't eat anything of color for that matter. She was and still is a little Ronnie Jr. Maybe that's why I look up to her.

My family and I remained at Mulberry Church of God up through 5th grade.

Although I was now baptized, it didn't stop me from disobeying my parents and attempting to defy their instruction. For that defiance, I was met with spankings, restriction, or both. Their teachings in respect of authority and obeying them was near the top of priorities for learning. There were lines that were made known that would not be crossed. If I stepped close to the line, I knew I'd have some kind of discipline coming.

There was an "uncle" that married into the family that really tested my respect for him. I was about 12 or so, and kind of a husky kid. Not obese like I am now (haha - working on combating that), but a little baby fat. This "uncle" would point to my huskiness a lot anytime around him. I'd cringe because I'd want to retaliate. But my mom was always close by and she'd look at me with THE LOOK and I knew she was thinking, "Don't you dare talk to an adult in a disrespectful manner." Soon that experience and lesson passed, and I took a valuable experience from it. It wasn't all discipline early on in life though.

At Mulberry Church of God, my parents signed up to run the Children's church. I remember helping my parents with putting this on every Sunday. Doing puppets, singing, dressing up as characters, etc. I greatly enjoyed ministering to others. I found great joy in sharing the love of God. 

We had my dad's brother (Doug) and his family that moved close to us around this time. One of my mom's brothers (Anthony) was a coach of a City of Mulberry baseball team for the 10 - 12 year old boys. My cousins (my dad's brother's son - Allen and my mom's brother's sons - Chris and Josh) all played baseball in the city league. My dad helped coach my team as well. I played for two years. I wasn't spectacular, obviously, as now I'm in real estate. I grew close to my uncle Doug and his family as they lived next door for a good period of time. I always have a good time with these cousins (Jen, Allen, Becky). 

As you probably have noticed, we have always been near a lot of family. We spent a lot of time with a lot of family. My mom's family still have their annual family reunion. We'd take many trips to see my great grandmother, Tommie Lee Hagan, as she lived on a river that led to a lake about an hour north of Lakeland. Spending so much time with her and other family members, even the not-so-nice ones, taught me a lot about life and what is important. 

Although I miss my Granny dearly, I'll always cherish our fishing outings. Sure I wish my daughters had a chance to meet her. But one day, my friends, one day.

Until next time, my friends.
- Jason