All My Children

I come from a lineage of strong, but sweet as iced tea, Southern women. One of the many interests that my grandma (Nanny), Mama, and I shared was our love of the long-running soap opera "All My Children". I grew up in the age before Nick Jr. and Cartoon Network, so what did I watch as a youngster? "All My Children"! It's probably not something I'd let Maggie watch, but I turned out okay! I still have vivid memories of the characters from the show in the early '80s. My interest in the show waned, but Nanny got me hooked on the show again around 1990, and I continued to watch it until I went to college. Although I haven't watched the show regularly in years, I watched this week's episodes and was sad to see this institution come to an end today . . . probably because it reminds me so much of my childhood and of Nanny.

The show's creator, Agnes Nixon, wrote at the beginning of the first episode,

"The great and the least,

The rich and the poor,

The weak and the strong,

In sickness and in health,

In joy and sorrow,

In tragedy and triumph,

You are ALL MY CHILDREN."

Being a mother now myself, I know this is how I feel about my child. I know Nanny and Mama certainly felt this way. . . always accepting of their children and grandchildren, no matter our situation.

Luckily, our family isn't nearly as dramatic as those in Pine Valley, but today I'm grateful for the fictional families who have given me years of entertainment and my real family for my loving, steady upbringing. (And for two special birthday ladies: my great Aunt Elizabeth celebrated her 90th birthday today, and my mom celebrates her birthday on Sunday!)