The other day I was on the phone with one of my many cousins and she mentioned to me that she was saving my “Miss Piggy” watch for Lana. Yes, I liked Miss Piggy when I was younger, imagine that! I had this jacket, being the fashion forward person I am, with a huge picture of Miss Piggy on the back. Remember that? I was amazed that my cousin had my Miss Piggy watch, she reminded me that I had given it to her when her daughter was born and now she is saving it for my daughter. We had a good laugh and my mind was flooded with memories. Later that evening, I was telling BJ (Will) the story and he asked, “Why did you like Miss Piggy so much?” I thought who would not like Miss Piggy, from what I remember, she was glamorous, independent, confessed her love, followed her passions, and spoke her voice.Growing up, although my mother raised me alone, I had a great support system due to my mother’s large family and her parents’ even larger family. My grandfather had so many siblings there are too many to count! Looking back, some aspects of my childhood was "glamorous" (similar to Miss Piggy) and I got a taste of the “finer things in life” early on from being chauffeured in limos to school, skating rink, and football games. When staying at a nice hotel, room service was always at my disposal. At any given event we always had the best seats in the house ranging from the ballet to a Reba concert, to name a few. However, this lifestyle was not because of being exceedingly rich or famous. My mom did provide a quality life for me, but I was exposed to some of these luxuries because my mother was the Director in the Executive Offices of a fine hotel, and partially due to a huge family, with many connections, to say the least! Yet, emphasis was not placed on the cost of things, but enjoying and appreciating the moment and each other. To give you an idea, my family is similar to an Italian Mafia, but without rivalries! Although I think somewhere down the line, I heard rumors that one of my family members was a hit man. Who knows if there is any truth to that!
Within this large extended family, I learned to love unconditionally, respect others, be generous, live and appreciate life to the fullest. Grandma’s house was the central gathering spot, family members or friends could stop by at any given time to enjoy some great food, good company, and many, many laughs. My mom allowed me to be myself and encouraged me to speak my voice, follow my passions, and most importantly, be an independent woman and uphold myself to the highest standards. I guess these were the reasons why I related so well with Miss Piggy as a child. OH and I loved frogs too!
