Why Osiris Organization?

April 6^th

^{School Years, Our Values, My Aunts}

Aunt Betty:

Aunt Ida and I bumped heads daily. I’d ask myself, “Why is Aunt Ida so hard on me? Why should I have to do all this hard work when all my friends are at the play ground playing baseball and tag?”

Aunt Betty was the ultimate counselor to me. She was raising her own son, Juan and daughter Yvonne came later. She treated me like her third child. In a loving voice, Aunt Betty would explain all that Aunt Ida was doing but explained it in a way that made sense to me. Betty was Ida’s older sister and they had great respect for one another. I’ve only seen them argue once.

Betty explained to me that Daddy and Mamma wanted a better life for us. They wanted their children to accomplished more than what they were permitted to accomplish. She further explained the conditions in the segregated South and what they had to deal with it. I was too young in the late 50′s and early 60′s to even know what was going on.

One day Daddy took some of our crops into town, downtown Marvell, Arkansas, thinking he would get a fair price. He came home disappointed with the prices he received from the white southerners wholesalers. Daddy worked so hard to keep what we made. I think this is why he taught us to never trust anyone outside of family.

How Aunt Betty knew all of this was startling to me as a young boy! At times, I felt like it was information overload, too much for a young kid to handle. I’d listen but usually I just wanted to go out and play baseball with my friends.

But I did often wonder what it felt like to work 13 hours a day on a farm, take your produce to market for sale and never get a fair price. How long could you do this without your pride taking a beating? Aunt Betty said it was not so much about the money. Afterall, our farm provided everything we needed. But for Daddy it was the sense of pride he felt working the fields, producing the crops, and reaping the harvest. How did Daddy handle the disrespect, hearing the fair price exchanged between the wholesalers and the white farmers who brought their crops to market? “Take pride in the work you do. Never hate anyone.” Daddy told us this all the time.

Aunt Betty had a wonderful way of making sense out of everything in my life. I don’t know if she knows how her wisdom impacted my young mind.

Oh, she was preparing for me for much more to come!

April 13^th , School Years, Our Values, My Aunts

Aunt Samella: