Count your blessings, and love people

Disclaimer: In the story below, the interviewee requested to remain anonymous. For storytelling purposes, we will be referring to her as “Anne.”

Anne described her childhood as a wonderful one. As an only child, she received her parents’ undivided attention and never wished for siblings. Some of her favorite memories were simple ones, like afternoon walks with her father to the ice cream store; her favorite flavor is chocolate. She grew up surrounded by her loving parents, grandparents, cats, and dogs although she has always considered herself to be a cat person.

She spent the first twelve years of her life in New Jersey, where her family had a cottage in the woods. Her life there was simple, but sometimes required a little work. For example, her family had to pump water from the lake to have drinking water. They spent much of their time outdoors. Anne remembers having a canoe and spending time in it with other children nearby. They would paddle around the lake, sometimes tipping the canoe over just for fun. When Anne was twelve, her family moved to Pennsylvania due to her father’s job. She eventually made her way to Virginia, where she built the rest of her life and raised her own family. When asked which of the three places she liked best, she did not choose one. Instead, she explained that it depended on where she was emotionally and personally at the time. 

School was another positive aspect of Anne’s childhood. She particularly enjoyed English and writing, and kept diaries and journals for both her academic and personal lives. Even today, she remembers many details about her childhood, something she attributes to journaling.

Anne did not follow a traditional career path. She occasionally worked temporary jobs and filled in when needed, but says she never really had what she would consider a “real job.” Much of her life was centered around being a mother and daughter instead. She raised a daughter and a son and also helped to care for her parents as they grew older.

One of the accomplishments she is most proud of is her work with other people. Anne volunteered with the Red Cross and Fairfax Hospital, where she spent time connecting with patients. She noticed that nurses often did not have time to sit and talk with patients, so she stepped into that role herself. That ability to connect with people has been one of the defining qualities of Anne’s life. She believes that being an only child taught her how to interact with others and speak up. She has always enjoyed making friends and having conversations with others, but she also believes conversation is about more than simply talking. It is about drawing other people out and making them feel comfortable enough to share their troubles. She was always delighted to sit with someone who was struggling. She would say, “I’m here, I’m a friend, I’m here to help.”

Although Anne says she did not face many major challenges in life, she remembers the small things. One example she gave was shoveling snow from her front door all the way to the sidewalk. She still enjoys cold weather and likes snow, but does not have a favorite season.

Anne’s philosophy toward life is simple: count your blessings and love people. She believes there is little value in dwelling on the things that went wrong. She thinks it is better to acknowledge mistakes, learn from them, and then focus on the good things in life. She especially  encourages younger generations to cherish the positive moments, see beyond themselves, reach out to others, and take time to genuinely connect. She says that by expressing yourself and opening up, you can find other people who feel the same way. Anne hopes that the people who knew her will remember her as easygoing, but mainly she hopes to leave behind a legacy of love, communication, and connection.

Although Anne was adopted, she has never felt a strong curiosity about finding or learning about her biological family. For her, the life she was given was already a happy one. She didn’t ever see a reason to leave behind the people and life she loved in search of something else. Her focus has always remained on appreciating what she has and, above all, loving the people around her.