ANDREA L. DONEY
88119@UDEL.EDU

My family's culture is pretty diverse. My mother's side is primarily Irish and English, with traces of Scottish and French. The "old world" traditions of the family had been carried out, until my grandfather's death seventeen years ago. The men were supreme rulers. Motives and decisions were not questioned or scrutinized, especially by the women of the family. Women were expected not to form their own opinions, but to support their husbands' opinion. In fact, my grandmother still has difficulty making her own decisions without the advice of her sons or daughters.

My father's side of the family is mostly German and Irish. However, my great-grandmother married a full-blooded American Indian. Unfortunately, he died before I was born, so I've never heard stories of his life firsthand. My great-grandmother is 98 and ill, so her memory isn't quite up to par. Yet she does remember the frustration that her husband experienced with the faster paced urban and factory lifestyle, and his inability to understand why the white man never seemed satisfied with anything. During her time with her husband, my great-grandmother learned to disapprove of things in excess and demand patience from others. Instead of returning to old habits, my great-grandmother assimilated part of her husband's culture and kept it with her, as a part of her life.