"Through A Window" - A Childhood Memory
MY GRANDMOTHER, LILLIE GRACE TOP LEFT AND HER SISTER JEWEL WITH CHILDREN AND COUSINS SWIMMING IN COMMISSIONERS CREEK. (MY MOTHER GLENDA, TOP ROW OF CHILDREN IN THE MIDDLE
My family is in the music business and I was raised in Nashville, Tennessee. Most of my summers as a child were spent visiting my grandmother in a small town called Gray Georgia, where she took me and my two brothers to attend events at her church. Her family and 8 siblings helped form Elam Baptist Church back in the early 1900’s. They lived and breathed this church with great pride and completeness. My parents were married there, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins. Many family members attended event after event. It was our social circle and a church that carried great heritage in our family for many years to come.
Elam Baptist Church, Gray Georgia, 1950’s
Most of my impressionable years as a young child and budding teenager were spent attending Vacation Bible schools and Elam Church homecomings, where everyone brought a traditional dish with sweet tea and it was shared together in fellowship hall. Afterward, we would go to Aunt Myrtle’s house and make home made peach ice cream on her front porch or cold lemonade, whatever was fresh in the garden that day! Aunt Myrtle’s barn was just across the street and all of the cousins would go over there and jump on the bales of hay until we were exhausted! I grew a very close attachment to my distant relatives by spending so much time with them in the summers experiencing farm life while my parents traveled entertaining on the road. I was raised by an entire family and love was plentiful. Little did I know the tremendous effect this summer interaction would have on my future or on my passion to create a warm and welcoming environment in the country for my family and friends to enjoy. This was part of who I became as a young woman and I have my beautiful grandmother, Lilly Grace, to thank for that!
Today, I am a mother of three terrific children and have been married for 23 years. Graciously, I have been able to carry on the traditions for my family from our relatives of days past. They are precious memories that I carry with me from day to day and hold dear to my heart with hopes that my children will continue the traditions in their families as well. We create the life we want for ourselves. Happiness is not a destination that you arrive at one day. It is a planned vision consisting of thought, values, protective boundaries and the formation of a direction for your life.
Wendy and John with EVan, Emily & JC
I have noticed that there are windows in time that are opportunities for growth more so than other times of our lives. During the teen years, our brains and bodies are maturing at such an accelerated rate. Our neurological systems are wildly swinging in a tornado of change. This means adolescents have the ability to readjust quickly - making it easy to engage them in the “right ways” of doing things early on while the brain is learning to establish social and emotional value systems. It’s also the time period of fastest physical change in newfound drives, motivations and feelings. There are profound shifts in metabolism and sleeping cycles as well. Its hard to get a teenager out of bed!
Because adolescents are so impressionable, they can be taught the “right ways” of doing things early on and remember them for the rest of their lives. This makes the need to relearn things later on unnecessary and creates an opportune time for growth and learning. So, at this time of life, they are highly impressionable and will likely learn things that will be dear to their hearts for a lifetime.
I believe that God has created each of us equally equipped to do exactly what he planned for us in our lives, giving us every quality that we need in order to be able to accomplish it successfully. (Jeremiah 29:11 and 1 Corinthians 14:1) If we are not so good at something, its because that quality was not necessary in order to serve his final purpose for our life. When we embrace this concept, it makes the unsure parts of ourselves disappear and we can then look to seek out the things within ourselves that will lead us to our destination.
It is my hope and passion that each young person find what those qualities are within themselves so they can begin their pathway to a successful, fulfilling and prosperous life. Their natural God given gifts will light the way in finding a purpose that will take them to Gods plan for their life.
It is my goal to be a part of helping your child through this enriching process. The programs at Be Unique were developed by me with a multitude of knowledge, research and life experience as well as education, training, work experience and a little trial and error.
I have brought my personal gifts and talents to the table and formed an extensive 16 week, Christian based program, that is designed to be interactive and fun. There is no other program like it! It is designed to bring out the inner qualities that already exist in each young lady and assist her in becoming the unique and sophisticated individual that God created her to be. It provides fellowship for the girls and a support system to lean on.
I live with excitement each day to see what Gods next plan is going to be! What does he have in store for your children? What traditions will your children carry on in the lives of younger generations? Take these impressionable years to spend the time with your children teaching the things that you hold dear. Embrace your family heritage and build a meaningful life for others to enjoy for years to come.
Being content with who you truly are and feeling happy with that person is certainly immeasurable. Through expressing our unique qualities, we can be the person God created us to be. I can’t wait to see what wonderful things God will do in the life of your child!
With genuine regards,
Wendy Severance
Owner/Director, Be Unique
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