Tell us: good/gifted/influential (to you) family members

[shootingstar]

Even if you have to go abit back in history. True profiles, please.  Yea, I know. Everyone you know is precious. It's giving that short profile summary about the person / people.

[Mr. Silly]

Even to today, my mother would be the most influential.  I am always impressed how she handles every situation with grace.

The most gifted would be my paternal grandmother.  She was a fantastic porcelain painter.  Her work is museum quality.  She was the president of the China Painter Instructors of America (or some such organization like that).  When Nixon normalized relations with China during the '70's, she was asked to go there as part of a cultural exchange. 

[shootingstar]

12 hours ago, Mr. Silly said:

Even to today, my mother would be the most influential.  I am always impressed how she handles every situation with grace.

The most gifted would be my paternal grandmother.  She was a fantastic porcelain painter.  Her work is museum quality.  She was the president of the China Painter Instructors of America (or some such organization like that).  When Nixon normalized relations with China during the '70's, she was asked to go there as part of a cultural exchange. 

Very cool!  Your mother would have been a great lady to know.

[Kirby]

I'd say my Dad.  He had the most incredible disposition I've ever seen - always even tempered and positive.  He not only saw the glass as half full, but he'd take time to comment on how nice the glass is and how thoughtful of you it was to give him such a nice drink.  He was also one of the smartest people I knew with a wide range of interests  Even when I was an adult at work, if I had a random question about history, or grammar, I'd call him. .  I recall him watching college football while translating Greek poetry.   But most importantly, he'd always make his family feel like there was nobody more important in the world.

[KrAzY]

The only one I can think or would have to be my second cousin Bob. He made a lot of people laugh, traveled and visited a lot of people that served our country, and was a well loved guy by everyone he met and our family. Even after his passing many years ago, he still brings smiles to people's faces if they know who he is.

[Kzoo]

3 minutes ago, KrAzY said:

The only one I can think or would have to be my second cousin Bob. He made a lot of people laugh, traveled and visited a lot of people that served our country, and was a well loved guy by everyone he met and our family. Even after his passing many years ago, he still brings smiles to people's faces if they know who he is.

Bob.  I’m guessing he also brought Hope to lots of people.

[KrAzY]

13 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Bob.  I’m guessing he also brought Hope to lots of people.

You want to feel bad for society. Ask anyone under the age of 40 who Bob Hope was and they ask you "who?? I don't know who thay is"... It's really sad the greats of our past are lost.

[goldendesign]

Great Aunt Dot. She was a selfless individual. Sad story really, when you think about it. Best friend throughout her whole life married the man Dot loved. She worked as the head waitress for them her whole career, out of love for them both. When they had children, she became the nanny. When the friend died she became the kids defacto mother. Mothered them through to college and beyond. Never married the man out of respect for her friend.

I don't know what you'd make of it but to me that kind of sacrifice doesn't come around to often and it takes a special person.

Plus she was hilarious at Thanksgiving. Always bringing a rhubarb pie and some grand Marnier for everyone. Loved me my aunt dot

[shootingstar]

1 hour ago, Kirby said:

I'd say my Dad.  He had the most incredible disposition I've ever seen - always even tempered and positive.  He not only saw the glass as half full, but he'd take time to comment on how nice the glass is and how thoughtful of you it was to give him such a nice drink.  He was also one of the smartest people I knew with a wide range of interests  Even when I was an adult at work, if I had a random question about history, or grammar, I'd call him. .  I recall him watching college football while translating Greek poetry.   But most importantly, he'd always make his family feel like there was nobody more important in the world.

Though I've never met you in person, Kirby, your online presence seems to have some stamp of your father's good influence.

[ChrisL]

My family, shoot I don't know. My dad passed when I was young, my mom did what she could but she was emotionally checked out for much of my childhood. My brothers were no role models...

I firmly believe I'm the product of the NCO's who shaped me.  They were my role models, hero's really.

[ChrisL]

6 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

My family, shoot I don't know. My dad passed when I was young, my mom did what she could but she was emotionally checked out for much of my childhood. My brothers were no role models...

I firmly believe I'm the product of the NCO's who shaped me.  They were my role models, hero's really.

Details, Drill Sergeant Heron showed me how to motivate with positive influence.  SFC Snyder was my hero & idle.  He lead by example, tough but fair and expected nothing more than 100% from you.  Just a poster boy of what an Army NCO should be. 1st Sgt Wasano,  low key but still effective in his subtle way.  Firm yet caring.

Its been 30 years and I remember them all like it was yesterday and strive  to live up to their standards every day.

[shootingstar]

It's hard for me to point just to 1 person without diminishing the effort of other(s). And far from perfect people.

My father who passed over 3 years ago. He had an even temperament, patient and very self-sacrificing. He taught himself English as an adult by listening to reel to reel tapes, studying books and yes, I do recall a thick bilingual Chinese-English dictionary with onionskin pages.  When he wasn't work evenings at restaurant until 2:00 am. This was done with demands of earning money on cook's salary for 6 children.  He emphasized education as key means to better oneself.   He got his wish:  all 6 children graduated from university.  He was a soft-spoken guy, approachable and cheerful.  He faithfully read Toronto Star newspaper and Globe and Mail. His English literacy became very good...on his own.

From the guy who took Canadian Pacific Rail train from Vancouver to Toronto when he landed as an immigrant in 1952 after his ship journey from China.  He only ate loaf of bread and marmalade because he didn't know how to order food in English.

His father, my paternal grandfather in China before Mao took power, gathered village funds and labour to build the first school building in the village. 

[Zealot]

10 hours ago, Kirby said:

I'd say my Dad.  He had the most incredible disposition I've ever seen - always even tempered and positive.  He not only saw the glass as half full, but he'd take time to comment on how nice the glass is and how thoughtful of you it was to give him such a nice drink.  He was also one of the smartest people I knew with a wide range of interests  Even when I was an adult at work, if I had a random question about history, or grammar, I'd call him. .  I recall him watching college football while translating Greek poetry.   But most importantly, he'd always make his family feel like there was nobody more important in the world.

This made my day. After a totally crappy day at work yesterday, I am sitting in a Burger King debating why or if I even want to go on into work today.  It was heart warming to read this. Thanks for posting it.

[Zealot]

9 hours ago, shootingstar said:

Though I've never met you in person, Kirby, your online presence seems to have some stamp of your father's good influence.

I concur. :-)

 

peace

[Zealot]

8 hours ago, shootingstar said:

It's hard for me to point just to 1 person without diminishing the effort of other(s). And far from perfect people.

My father who passed over 3 years ago. He had an even temperament, patient and very self-sacrificing. He taught himself English as an adult by listening to reel to reel tapes, studying books and yes, I do recall a thick bilingual Chinese-English dictionary with onionskin pages.  When he wasn't work evenings at restaurant until 2:00 am. This was done with demands of earning money on cook's salary for 6 children.  He emphasized education as key means to better oneself.   He got his wish:  all 6 children graduated from university.  He was a soft-spoken guy, approachable and cheerful.  He faithfully read Toronto Star newspaper and Globe and Mail. His English literacy became very good...on his own.

From the guy who took Canadian Pacific Rail train from Vancouver to Toronto when he landed as an immigrant in 1952 after his ship journey from China.  He only ate loaf of bread and marmalade because he didn't know how to order food in English.

His father, my paternal grandfather in China before Mao took power, gathered village funds and labour to build the first school building in the village. 

And the words you spoke to Kirby echo through your own life as well, @shootingstar.

What your father, and others like him, accomplished is amazing to me. It took courage, discipline and in many ways an adventurer’s spirit to make a new life like that. Thank you for posting this.

[Kirby]

I love all these stories.  While a major celebrity like Bob Hope can obviously have an impact on so many lives (especially with his tours to service bases), it's also clear that an "ordinary" person can have a powerful impact just by the way they lead their life and treat people.   I'm sure most of these other people don't realize what an impact they're having on others.  Makes you wonder whom you might have impacted in a positive way.

[shootingstar]

12 hours ago, Zealot said:

And the words you spoke to Kirby echo through your own life as well, @shootingstar.

What your father, and others like him, accomplished is amazing to me. It took courage, discipline and in many ways an adventurer’s spirit to make a new life like that. Thank you for posting this.

How about you Zealot or?

[Tizeye]

While my father died when I was 3, and my step-father was excellent and is my mother (she is still alive), I am going to take a strange twist. I am going to have to say my great uncle whom I never really knew due to his living several hundred miles away and his early death, but I am currently living in the city of his legacy. He was a Catholic priest, Monsignor, and while initially a parish priest who turned the finances around and became pastor of the 'new' church when they moved from the original, and today it is the cathedral for the diocese. I refer to it as Uncle John's church. I look at the troubling times he confronted, including confronting and diffusing the KKK on the steps of the rectory. Later receiving an award from the City for the leadership in their development - which ironically the mayor/presenter was the same voice in the white hooded robe from years prior and during the presentation they had a semi-coded dialog noting the changes they had seen as others would think was about the early development of the city where they were talking about personal development. He was so highly regarded that a building was named after him. I don't talk about it much as is a lot of pressure for me. It is weird, but in anything I do, I don't want to mess up and distract from his legacy.

[sheep_herder ★]

My mother and father were good hardworking folks.  My dad worked in the oil industry on the Texas Gulf Coast for 42 years.  He wanted to go to college, but worked instead. He took many continuing education classes, and spent many hours at the dining room table studying and doing home work amidst the din of noise from the rest of the family.  His powers of concentration were amazing.  My mom was a housekeeper, but decided to work outside of the home after my sister and I left for college.  She got a job selling, etc. at a local jewellery store.  My wife worked with her for a while before we were married, and was amazed at her selling skills.  She eventually got a job at a much larger jewellery store in Houston, where among other folks, she met wives of several of the Houston Oilers football players.  I was never for sure what her job title was, but in addition to selling, she was sent to New York and other places on buying trips for the store.  She always enjoyed these trips, as two cousins that lived in NYC made sure she had a good time while also doing her job.  It was pretty amazing what she accomplished after a modest beginning as a young child in Possum Walk, Texas. They both felt strongly that one must keep working and moving ahead, and then the sky was the limit.

[Ralphie ★]

My dad and both brothers were/are great drawers and meticulous letterers.  I can;t draw atall. And my printing is atrocious!   Interesting how genes work!

[Mr. Silly]

On 9/17/2018 at 9:21 PM, Kirby said:

He not only saw the glass as half full, but he'd take time to comment on how nice the glass is and how thoughtful of you it was to give him such a nice drink. 

I've been reading your posts here and on the love forum for a number of years.  I would describe your contributions in the same way.

[MickinMD ★]

Coming from a very-large extended family of hard-working blue-collar types who had little understanding of life besides "work hard and save your money" and where I was the first of my cousins to graduate from college, it came down to both of my parents having specific influences that helped me.  My father was bright and helped me develop a thrill for learning and for problem solving and always pushed me toward college even though there was no comprehension of how I'd ever afford to go.  My mother was the live-beneath-your-means type who taught us to have a lot of sense about finances, about buying a home asap, etc. Even in my 40's, she handed me a copy of Stanley's and Danko's The Millionaire Next Door, which had a positive effect on my retiring comfortably.  Learning from mom's ability to handle many financial stresses through the years, my siblings and I had no problem cutting back spending, delaying gratification, etc. when tough times in life required it.

[12string]

Hard to narrow down, so many, and my parents were definitely most influential, as parents ought to be.  In an effort to single someone out, I'd say my wife's Aunt and Uncle.  My wife's father died a few days after i met her, she was 14 and the oldest child.  Aunt and Uncle were rather stand offish, didn't really agree with some of my MiL's chilld rearing methods (she wasn't well equipped to raise 4 young uns).  Uncle would step in occasionally as stern surrogate dad, then step back out.  Didn't make for the best relationship, but he was trying best as he knew how.  Aunt stayed on the sidelines.  It came to a head when SiL was 16 and pregnant, they argued angrily that she should marry the guy and keep the child.  Though I wasn't even dating my wife at the time, I was close enough to get caught in the middle and supported SiL's decision to give the child up.  Aunt and Uncle weren't happy about me getting involved.  Many years later, when MiL passed, they came to a realization that maybe they had gone about a lot of things too harshly.  Without ever putting it to words, they admitted their mistake, and became such unconditionally loving and loved surrogate parents.  We've all become quite close.