Yours and Mine

My birth order as Baby was definitely the best position—the youngest. We had a “yours, mine, and ours” family. Blended marriages weren’t common then—most kids shared the same parents and their family continued intact. My friends and I had trouble following who was related to each other, and which grandparents belonged to who. When I was about nine years old, I think someone drew me a chart! But Mama always insisted, “I consider you all my children.”

From the Baby’s point of view, everything and everyone was perfect and terrific! They gave me all the love I wanted. I recently realized all my siblings’ and parents’ halos carried battle scars. But that’s another story…

In 1968, a hilarious comedy was created starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda in, Yours, Mine, and Ours. It was based on a true story of a large blended family. The cause of the bride and groom’s single parenthood wasn’t from divorce, but death. They had eighteen children between the two of them—we had four, but there were still some quirky times.