I was born to
two very loving parents, Edward Eugene Miller and Mary Ellen Ann McCall
on April 16, 1974. Throughout my life, they have given me many opportunities
and encourage me to make good decisions and be all I want and dream to
be.
I was born to
two very loving parents, Edward Eugene Miller and Mary Ellen Ann McCall
on April 16, 1974. Throughout my life, they have given me many opportunities
and encourage me to make good decisions and be all I want and dream to
be.
Unfortunately,
their marriage ended when I was 6 years old. Each of them re-married,
giving me two new and equally loving parents who cared for me, helped to
raise me and always treated me as their own child; Gloria Dianne Bain and
James Andrew (Andy) McBryde.
Regretfully,
my mother and Andy were also divorced after about 4 years of marriage.
My mother re-married, giving me yet one more person to call "dad" and to
love, Leondard "Red" Maffitt.
I was blissfully
married in June 1993 and acquired two beautiful parents-in-law Virgil &
Lois Swearingen.
Sadly, my dad
Edward died May 9, 1999 after a short but painful battle with lung cancer.
He was 61.
Now all of this sounds like a pretty intriquete and involved story. If you read Varrin's family page, you will see that he has had the same parents, happily married for over 40 years. However, my life has been different and I have always chosen to view the bright side of things. I had more parents to love me and have received more love from 5 sub-sets of fathers and mothers than some children have from their own birth parents. This is my way of trying to tell you that each of my parents is loved, appreciated, irreplaceable, held dear and considered a great blessing. Without these 7 very special individuals I would not be the person I am today. I am happy to be me and happy with my life. I have chosen to be thankful to God for each event in my life, good and bad; not just those that appear as obvious blessings but also the hidden blessings in life's trials. They are both what have shaped me into the person I am today.
Let me tell you a small bit more about each one and you will know why it is a pleasure to call them my moms & dads:
Edward Eugene
Miller: Vocationally he was a truck driver and driving is what
drove him. He is one of the very few people I know that truly loved
his work. Driving hundreds of thousands of miles over my own life,
he showed me the value of hard work and a good work ethic. I regret
not taking the opportunity to tell him what his example meant to me.
One special time I remember spending with him was a short haul on the east
coast when I was a really small girl. I can say 'short haul' now,
but I bet I whined and cried, "When are we going to get there?" and
"Are we almost there?" the whole way. I remember him stopping
along the way to get me a Mello Yellow. Remember MY? Way too
much caffeine for a little kid to handle but it sure was good. I
enjoyed that trip, not just for the Mello Yellow, but the time spent with
my daddy.
Ed was an excellent father. He and Gloria took me in when I was a teenager without hesitation. I remember a talk we once had where I tried to thank him for that, but the words just didn't seem to do my thoughts justice. He knew what I was trying to say. He hugged me tight and we cried. We had some very special times like that, each one I remember with great fondness coupled with the sadness of him not being here now.
I was his scooter-poot (which he called me the last time we ever spoke) and I loved being his daughter. It is comforting to know that with my dad, it didn't matter how old I got; there was still a place for me in his lap. I am hoping that he is smiling as he watches me raise a son (one that looks very much like him as a child) and live a happy life with our family, while he sits in the lap of the Father.
Mary Ellen
Ann McCall: Vocationally, my mom is a trained medical assistant,
specializing in phlebotemy. Yuck! Don't know how she can do
it but she loves to draw blood, and she's good at it. She is suffering
from some very hard back trouble, stemming from lifting at work.
So, she has been unable to return to work for some time. I know she
misses it. Neat coincidence - when my mom moved back to Hagerstown,
MD in 1989 she began working for the hospital I was born in (April 16,
1974), Washington County Hospital. Varrin's mom works at the hospital
that he was born in (April 9, 1974), St. Rose Hospital - Hayward, CA.
We get a regular chuckle out of the way God puts people together who were
born so far apart.
Family is everything to my mom. She is a very loving and affectionate person and passed that trait down to me. She is where I get my love for hugs! She lives close to her own mom and wishes that all her kids could be close to her too. Although we are scattered across the country, she is always keeping close tabs on us, checking in to see how we are and what we are up to. She shows a great deal of love just by picking up the phone and I admire her committment to family. I am delighted that we are not only mother and daughter. We are friends.
Gloria Dianne
Bain: An angel on earth! She has always loved me as if
I were her own blood and when I came to live within her home in 1989 she
spread her angel wings and welcomed me with all her heart. She has
helped to mold me into the woman I am today. We joke that she gave
me my "culture". She exposed me to the theater and the symphony.
We frequented museums and the library. Fresno has a very rich and
diverse history with so much to see and do. And when I sang with
the Fresno International Grand Opera and the California Opera Society,
she proudly came to every show, cheered me on, and just like a mom would
do, told me I was the best actor on the stage :-) She gave me my
love for music, my passion for the theater and then lovingly supported
all my artistic endeavors. She is love, wrapped up in an arts-loving
body!
James Andrew
(Andy) McBryde: A U.S. Navy man, who brought us to California when
I was in the 5th grade. Boy, am I sure glad he did! I love
California and call it my home state! Andy cared for me during a
very ackward time in my family's history. At a time when I look back
and don't see a very loveable child, but a pain-in-the-neck adolescent,
he loved me anyway. A time when I was learning about boys, smoking
and all the other crazy stuff that kids try to get away with. Somehow,
he was always watching... even when I least expected it. He always
had my best interest at heart and to this day, I would consider him a friend.
Leonard "Red"
Maffitt: Red and Varrin remind me so much of each other.
They are both so layed back and relaxed. Nothing bothers either of
them.. By vocation, Red is a security guard at the hospital I was born
in, Washington County Hospital. It's neat to think that years ago,
someone was keeping the hospital secure when I was born and Red protects
the babies being born there today. He loves Italian food, as do I
and he has an incredible sense of humor. He and my mom are a great
match. When we visit, I enjoy watching the two of them interact.
They compliment each other well. And I can tell that they make each
other happy. That in turn, makes me happy.
Lois Ann Swearingen:
One of God's most precious servents. She is a nurse anesthitist by
trade and is one of the special people who works in Obstetrics. She
loves her work and has spent many years helping babies transition from
the womb to the world in OB in the Bay Area. Lois has treated me
like the daughter she never had for even longer than Varrin and I have
been married. She shows me great love and encouragement daily, without
even realizing she is doing anything special. She has a great love
for photography and takes beautiful pictures. The story of her life
and memories can be found in the thousands of slides and prints taken over
the last 60 years. And she especially loves to photograph her grandsons,
Garrett & Edison. She is one of the most giving and loving people
I know and I am happy to be able to call her mommy-pie!
Virgil Lowell
Swearingen: Virgil is a splendid Godly man who is always willing to
learn and then teach what he has observed to be true and right in life.
He is a constant encouragement to me and I will always remember how he
kept me company when Varrin was away at flight school in Florida.
Those were special times... teaching me about computers and a funny time
I can recall when he was photographed in a dress. Long story but
ask me... I love to tell this story and show off the picture <GRIN>.
I could not dream of a nicer, more loving and caring father-in-law.
I praise God that this is the one he chose for me.
Well there they are... all my parents! Now can you see why I love
them all so?!