But Then What Happened?

On August 7th, 1982, I became a father for the first time. Jeana and I were living in a 2-bedroom duplex on Cedar Street in Bellflower, California. We had recently moved from a 1-bedroom apartment in Norwalk, as we anticipated the need for more space. We both worked at a small Christian school in Norwalk. Jeana was a secretary and I taught a 5th and 6th grade combination class. I also served as a football and basketball coach. I loved my job but the pay was nearly poverty level. But we never complained or demanded more... we just made it work. Our sparsely furnished abode was made up of a few pieces of second hand furniture that people had given us. We couldn’t afford a bed, so we slept on a 4 inch thick piece of foam that we laid on the bedroom floor. It was a Saturday morning and I had an alarm set because I had volunteered to haul some of my students to Disneyland. Jeana, who was closing in on her due date, chose to stay home and relax. But... there would be no relaxing on that ...

Every family needs a Switzerland. Right? The one who stays neutral. The one who mediates between warring, familial factions. The one who is emotionally invested in family peace and harmony.   My sister, Barbara, plays that role in our family and she plays it well. I often refer to her as the “glue that holds our family together.” Maybe we should refer to her as “Elmer.” (Dad joke. Sorry. It’s who I am.) Barbara was born in 1946 and is the eldest of the Munson kids. She is the only sibling that was alive and present to welcome her four brothers into the world. Maybe that is why she takes ownership of this task. I know that my eldest daughter, Maelynne, functions similarly with her four siblings. Being almost 13 years my senior, Barb was already in her late teens by the time I was 4 or 5 years old... the age that typically represents one’s earliest memories. I was very attached to her. My view of her was more as a second mom than it was a sibling. She loved me, nu...