Growing up in southeastern Missouri definitely set me up to be the person I am today. I learned some valuable lessons that not everyone I have come across in my life have had the privilege of learning. When considering all of the things that I have learned here are five of what I feel are the most important.

1. MANNERS. MANNERS. MANNERS.

"Mind your manners!" I can't tell you the number of times I heard that growing up and still hear that to this day. To most please, thank you, and you're welcome are common. However, things like holding the door open for others, saying yes ma'am and yes sir aren't as common. Growing up using my manners were something that was drilled into me. Coming to college has allowed me to see that others weren't as experienced in the manners department.

2. R.E.S.P.E.C.T. find out what it means to me.

This isn't just a catchy part of an Aretha Franklin song, growing up in the south this is something I feel as if everyone had drilled into them. You were taught to be respectful to not only authority figures but to everyone, you came in contact with regardless of how they were treating you. You didn't dare ever let your parents hear that you were being disrespectful towards anyone.

3. You ate what was fixed for you and you didn't complain.

Not living at home anymore I have gotten pretty picky about what I eat but I have more choices. Growing up whatever was fixed for dinner was what we were having. There was no I don't like that I want something else. If we didn't eat what was fixed we didn't eat at all. We also didn't waste food. We cleaned our plates and that was normal. We didn't get a boatload of food and then throw half of it away.

4. Work ethic was everything.

Growing up I had chores that had to be done. I helped with taking care of livestock, planting the garden, harvesting from the garden, planting and weeding the flower beds, and helping stack wood in the winter. I did all of these things because it was what was expected of me and on top of that, I had a summer job washing dishes in a cafe. From an early age, I was taught that nothing was going to be handed to me and if I wanted something I was going to have to work for it. I hold this very concept near to my heart to this day.

5. Lastly, above all else, I was to put my faith in God.

Some of my earliest memories were getting up early on Sunday mornings getting ready and going to church. Going to church was a whole family thing as well. You could count on grandma to call you every Sunday morning to make sure that you were up and going. I saw from a very young age that you prayed in the good times as well as the bad. We thanked God for everything we had. We trusted in his plan and still do. Growing up we weren't the richest or the best off but we had God and we had each other which was so important.

I know that some of these things might be trivial or some might say that they aren't just southern things. However, growing up in Southeastern Missouri and then traveling to a lot of other places and hearing stories from others I can tell you that these things are very common among southern families. I for one am very blessed to have grown up in a strong southern family that enstilled these values in me.