Four years after my birth, my parents made their third and last bid for a boy. According to my parents, I was not exactly thrilled by the new arrival. That's me looking suspiciously at our new sister. My physical needs were often not met during my early years. We lacked routine medical care, and I had special physical needs regarding my hearing that were not addressed. My concept of self was influenced by how my parents described me and my sisters to others. Jenny was funny; I was quiet; Melissa was outgoing. I began to think of myself as shy and reserved because I thought other people, including my parents, saw me that way. I trusted the judgement of my parents, so when they said I was "well behaved" or "shy" I believed them. Our family struggled to make ends meet, and we often did not have enough food. However, the food we had was grown ourselves in our garden, so our diet was rich in fresh vegetables.
