Who I Am
I want you to read this like a book; taste the words and come back to it from time to time..I write a lot, I like to fill my paper with words and small margins. I want to slowly open myself up. Unravel the important details of the life I have lived, because I am certain that the details will make the larger picture more clear. Let me give you the run-down: Christian home, 4 aunts, 3 uncles, 2 grandparents, my great aunt and mother, sister, and my cousin Andray all were living under the same roof for the beginning of my childhood. A rather large family from both sides of my parents that has grown so much since then. About 11-14 people at one point, unlimited cousins, full Christmases, divorced parents, absent but always an amazing and loving father. A mother who built my life on a firm foundation, but which I am forever blessed to have them both even they are apart. And while we’re talking about it, some acknowledgments for my step-mother who has welcomed me into her life and supported me in experiencing life and blossoming to the person that I am today. Thank you to you, I love you all so much.
Extra curricular’s consisted of spending a lot of time in church, singing and going to private piano lessons for 7 years, I loved school so I loved to study and take notes, I began to write a lot and still am a heavy note taker. I grew up in a Russian household so taking time to learn the language and how to read was something my family never wanted me to forget. I am glad I never lost it and still have a part of where we came from. I was very shy but secretly comedic, I got comfortable spending time on my own and going on this journey of finding true friendship and what that means. I started to discover my artistic abilities, and my creative and curious mind ran wild in those times of solitude.
My home life revolved around having faith in God and spending time with family. My sister Kathreen is 4 years older and everyone else was a lot older than me. I grew up in a home that was full of so many different personalities, parenting styles, biblical knowledge, shared family interventions and wisdom.
The numerous places and homes, the miles I have traveled. It taught me very well how important a home is. So we would take the time to clean our home from floor to ceiling, each having our own tasks. Cleaning was dedicated time, we expected it and it sort of was an extracurricular! Today, it is a way to show gratitude and respect for the roof over my head. I remember being the kid who would like to clean the detailed wooden coffee table with the curvy glass top. I would wash the dishes sitting on a high stool, overlooking the large, green, corduroy swing my grandparents would sit on, along with my beloved great aunt Raisa on Summer days. I would be the child that grandma would ask if I would be willing to cut the grass along the fence because she knew I wouldn’t mind, and I did not mind being in the sun and pretending that the little coned pine tree was Aladdin. Or the times I would sit and watch Raisa load laundry in the laundry room, or wash clothes in the sinks you see in art classrooms. These are the things that most people didn’t want to do, but I was a sponge soaking in every, little, thing. I loved the tedious tasks.
I hope that this first post gives you an idea as to what I’m trying to tell you: a story. Not just one, but many. All these details are what shaped and molded me into the artist that I am today, the closer we look the more words there are to say. There is a book here full of many stories pleading to be told. I want to be open and ready to talk about the life God has blessed me. The mind He gifted me. He is the Creator, the most beautiful artist that I know. I look forward to talking with you all and being able to be a sounding board for other people’s experiences in this wonderful, unpredictable life. Thank you for being here.
