We always had the cutest clothes and dresses to wear out everywhere. My grandmother made sure of that. My sister and I were 18 months apart so we were about the same size. My grandmother, we'll call her Mamaw, dressed us in matching outfits which led most to think that my sister and I were twins.

The memory that most have of me when I was a child was my dressing in these frilly dresses with the petticoats on them. My hair was always perfectly curled with ribbons and bows. I had naturally curly hair but Mamaw still rolled it in those foamy rollers so that each curl was in perfect line. I looked like a modern day Shirley Temple.

I would twirl my dresses around because I loved that swooshing sound that they made. My dresses were completed with white socks with the ruffles on top and ruffly white panties. This was Sunday wear, mind you, so I appropriately called my panties "Holy Panties".

An outfit any other day of the week was still always matching and the hair was always curled. I can't remember a single picture of me without my hair like that. This must be why I invested $100 in a straightener now.

I was happy right now because though I didn't have parents, I had two grandparents and it never crossed my mind that this was different than anyone else I knew.