Legacy Paper
Lori L. Lindsey-Clarkston
Lakeview College of Nursing
RN 309 Nursing of the Gerontological Client
February 4, 2011

My Name is Shirley Lyons; I was born on a cold Christmas Eve 1937.  I was born in Terre Haute, Indiana.  I was the fourth of seven children and the first born girl, there was Frank, Lonnie, Alexander, me, Charles, Janice, and Chauncey.  I am the only one left out of my whole family; they have all died on me.  My mother was a homemaker she had her hands full taking care of all us kids.  My daddy was a police officer here in Covington for over thirty years; I can remember how worried my momma would be every night until he made it home.  Everyone in town respected him, I don’t remember him ever being in danger, you know like being shot at or anything.    His nickname for me was “Booger,” he called me that until the day he died, even as an adult, I never minded and I still miss hearing him say it.  
We were poor, being the first born girl I always had new clothes, they were homemade of course, my mother was an excellent seamstress, and Janice got the hand-me-downs from me.  She ended up being bigger than me so as we got older she did have some new things that were hers she worn them proudly.  I was never good in school, I made it through ok, and I enjoyed taking care of the neighborhood kids more than doing school work.  As much as I loved kids I never got married or had any of my own.  I never held a “real” job I always babysat or ironed for money.  There was always someone who needed a baby/kid sitter; I watched all my nieces and nephews when they were growing up and then my great nieces and nephews when they were growing up.  There were a few neighborhood kids I would watch as well.  I always figured “What’s one more…two or twenty it didn’t matter to me.  Sometimes if the parents were having money trouble I would do it for free.  My favorite time was summer when we could go to the park or walking around Covington.  The kids loved that, being outside everyone was happy.  
In my spare time, which I didn’t have much of I like to read, do crossword and word search puzzles, and watch television.  I have a lot of time to do all those things now, I do miss having kids around me all the time but I am too old to keep up with the little ones.  There aren’t many kids in the family now, and the ones there are have moved far away.  I have one niece who is in charge of my money and other affairs that visit me here at the nursing home.  I have lived here on and off for three years, I am pretty sure it’s permanent this time.  
One of the things that I remember from my childhood is that I was always loved and surrounded by people all the time.  On holidays we had a house full and more food than you can imagine.  Whoever wanted to come or needed a family to share the holiday with was welcome at our house.  We didn’t have much money so presents weren’t a big thing, we always went to Christmas Eve services and then to bed early because Christmas Day was busy and we all had our certain part to contribute.  The girls were in the kitchen and the boys were setting up tables and watching for the company, my dad directed traffic, so everyone was parked legal, which was important since he was the town cop.  Love is what I remember the most from my childhood we had a lot of it.  
The trinkets and homemade items I have kept from the kids I babysat are my treasures.  I also have our old family Bible that means a lot to me.  I am content here at the nursing home they take good care of me and feed me well.  I am surrounded by people and have many friends here.  I like to take the new ones under my wing and make them feel at home, there are so many here that are lonely or confused, I have all the time in the world so I just make my way around and sit and listen if that’s what someone needs.  I have a few favorites and I am always sad when someone passes away, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, when the good Lords ready for me I got a place next to my mom and dad out at Coal Creek Cemetery.