"My
parents both worked those first few years to save money
for a down payment on a home, so I spent a great deal of
time with my grandmother. I can remember those years as
being very, very secure and the apartment house as just
a wonderland for a little girl. There were elevators in
which to go up and down, long halls in which to play marbles,
and a basement full of furnaces, niches and cubby holes
in which to play hide-and-seek.
I'll always remember
those large cozy rooms and the grand piano and the wonderful
smells from Grandmother's kitchen. But most of all, there
was a warmth and love in that home that I just can't describe.
It was the kind
of home where you sing Christmas carols, where the pastor
and his family come for Sunday dinner, where you celebrate
birthdays, holidays and special days with large family gatherings
and where you sit on laps and listen to endless stories.
I remember my
grandfather's rich baritone voice leading us when we sang
our family grace: 'Be present at our table, Lord. Be
here and everywhere adored. These mercies bless, and grant
that we may feast in Paradise with Thee.' The table
almost vibrated at that booming voice. I remember that he
always switched to harmony on the A-men.
Whenever I think
of my grandmother, I think of Proverbs 31: 'The family
of a godly woman shall rise up and call her blessed' My
grandmother was blessed, indeed. As a child, I felt complete
acceptance from her. In a thousand ways, she said 'I love
you' every day, whether it was taking the time to play my
favorite song on the piano or reading Bible stories to me
or making up songs about my being her only brown-eyed grandchild.
She always made me feel a little bit special."
"My
mom? She's very warm, very unassuming. The kind of person
that everyone likes. My dad is like that, too. A terrific
personality, the life of the party. Wherever I go, people
always ask how my parents are."
Terry's parents
met at East De Pere High School. Bev Anderson was a pretty
blue-eyed cheerleader and Joseph Meeuwsen a star basketball
player. They were married seven years later. Eventually
the Meeuwsen household included four children: Terry, Judie,
and four years later, two boys, Joe Jr. and Peter.
Both Meeuwsens
took their parental roles very seriously. "Discipline
was strict but I hope not unreasonable," Terry's mother
recalled. But most of all, life at the Meeuwsens was fun.
"My mother
always went out of her way for us. She made our costumes
when we were in productions; she did our hair and helped
us with our make-up. She was the Girl Scout leader; she
taught us all to dance; everything, says Terry.
Before
we were allowed to go to public dances, she would let us
have them in our backyard. We would string lights all over
the place, play music at night, pop popcorn and make Kool-Aid.
Our house was a gathering place for everybody. And she was
the kind of mom that my friends could talk to, who took
the time to listen. She was very receptive and accepting
of everything we said. So the kids always leveled with her."
Bev Meeuwsen's
children are all grown now. Looking back on her years as
a parent, she talked about some important things she had
learned.
"When you're
a parent, you can't just be a parent during the good times.
You also have to be a parent during the bad times, the tough
times. You have to love all the time, not just when you
feel like it. And I think that is why our family survived
and remains so close. We do love each other all the time
and we're not afraid to express it or show it. I've learned
another lesson as I've struggled with worries and problems
over the years. You don't have to worry. If you have a problem
you can put it in God's hands and leave it there. He can
handle it and if He wants to do something with it, He will.
You can trust Him with it."
