I am from a red shutter house, with a dark green door, surrounded by vastness, greenery and blue skies,

I am from a town where everyone knows your name, and your business, good or bad, it is what I have always known,

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I am from apple picking in the autumn and skiing down the slopes in the harsh cold of winter,

I am from the state with the big apple but not from the tall skyscrapers, nor the countryside laden with cattle and sheep,

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I am from beanie babies, and polly pockets, monopoly and Life,

I am from go outside and play instead of staring at a screen,

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I am from soft knit blankets and warm fluffy beds, comfy big couches, and pillowy white carpet,

I am from the smell of corned beef and cabbage on a mild March night or a fresh batch of pancakes on a weekend morning,

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I am from pizza every Saturday and spaghetti every Wednesday,

I am from dinner time is at 6 at the kitchen table, and all five are  present,

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I am from “never give up” and “keep trying”,

I am not from “you’re not good enough”, or “you don’t make me proud”

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I am from a yellow mentality, believing the glass is always half full,

I am from a long line of hard workers and a family full of freckled faces,

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I am from  a family full of educators who have changed hundreds of little lives,

I am from packed family get togethers, with my 15 cousins by my side,

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I am from a red shutter house, with a dark green door, but my life has been so much more than that,

I am from all of these moments, they have made me who I am, and who I will always be.