The Life Development of Barbara Calvin:

my grandmother and I. 

My grandmother’s name is Barbara Beaucoudray Calvin.  She was born January 3^rd 1946. As a child my grandmother was healthy, cheerful, and fun-loving.  She loved to learn and her mind held a special spark of creativity.  Throughout her life she has continually maintained and expanded these attributes, always attempting to better herself, always moving forward. Unlike many other people her age, she still considers herself to be constantly improving and gaining new knowledge. She is truly a remarkable woman.  Recently in an attempt to discover how she has developed over her lifetime I interviewed my grandmother.  I conducted my interview based on 3 specific stages of her lifespan development starting with her childhood, moving through adolescence, and on to adulthood.   I asked my grandmother questions about various areas of her life development. My questions pertained to the areas of physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. 

I began the interview of my grandmother by asking about how she has developed physically over the years. Throughout most of her life, my grandmother has enjoyed good health. As a child she suffered from no major illnesses or injuries. It was not till she reached adolescence that she experienced any health concerns. In her later teenage years it was discovered that she had a thyroid problem.  The problem was not severe however, and was kept under control by prescribed medicine. By the age of 21 she had outgrown these problems completely.  As she moved into adulthood my grandmother became even healthier. She was actively working and attending school. In her early twenties my grandmother had her first child (my mother) and her second (my uncle) 6 years later.  Her children kept her active and she attributes much of her good health simply to keeping up with them.  It was not till she became as she put it, a “senior citizen” that her health started to decline.  At around the age of 50 after she had begun menopause, she started to experience blood pressure problems, and a few years later she developed sleep apnea.  To help her continue breathing while asleep she had to sleep every night with a breathing machine. Thankfully her breathing problem improved and she relies on a machine no longer.  She also experienced several common signs of aging such as: Arthritis, weight gain, loss in height, and increased fatigue following physical activities. Despite the changes she has experienced with age, she tries  not to worry about her health. She has learned how to deal with change, and is aging with grace and acceptance.  

After I questioned my grandmother on the physical dimension of her development, we moved on to her cognitive development.  In response to questions about learning, she replied that from a young age she loved to learn.  She started attending school at the age of five years old and she enjoyed it immensely.  Although learning was something she enjoyed, she never thought of herself as especially bright or intelligent. In her words, she considered herself as “average, with a little spark.”  Her special “spark” was indeed her creative mind. Even more than learning, my grandmother adored being creative.  Dancing, art, and singing were the things at which she excelled, and these skills followed her throughout her adolescent and adult life as well.  In high school, when learning became more than just for fun my grandmother started to struggle a little with her schooling. In our interview, she observed that as a teenager she started looking at school with grades and college in mind instead of as an enjoyable outlet.  As she transitioned through emerging adulthood learning became easier to her again and she saw her intelligence expand. She attended college following high school but was unable to finish her degree. She chose instead to marry my grandfather. When she reached the age of 40 however, she encountered a midlife transition period, and ventured back to school to finish her degree. She majored in education and got her certification to be a pre-school teacher.  My grandmother loved her years as a pre-school teacher; this time exemplified her life philosophy to always keep moving forward. As she ages, my grandmother believes that she has become wiser and more intelligent. When asked to define wisdom, my grandmother replied that “wisdom is how to apply what you know to help someone get better, or fill a need. “  Intelligence, she defined as: “knowing where to go and find the information that you need.”  I think these definitions gives wonderful insight into my grandmother’s mind. She feels that in her current state of life she has the knowledge to achieve anything she wants to accomplish. 

My grandmother’s way of thinking is certainly unique, and her way of interacting with others directly reflects this.  Following examination of her cognitive changes, we then transitioned to the psychosocial aspects of her development.  Starting in her very first years alive my grandmother was always social. Growing up she lived in a home with her mother, father, and two younger brothers.  She would go out and play every day riding her bike around the neighborhood. During her childhood she viewed the world using egocentric thought. From her perspective everybody was her friend.  Going to school expanded her world and she thrived in the social environment.  In 7^th grade however, around the age of puberty, she experienced a sudden personality change. She became quiet and reserved acting uncharacteristically at home and at school. Just as suddenly as her personality shifted, it shifted back and in 9^th and 10^th grade she became a social butterfly once again. These sudden personality changes were most likely a result of my grandmother’s search for her true self. A period of figuring out her own strength, weaknesses, and her place in society, in other words discovering her identity.    Throughout her later high school years she thrived in social interaction, and was popular at school.  After high school my grandmother went on to college and took on the new social role of housewife at the young age of 19. Currently, she is a minister’s wife and leader in her community and just as socially active as ever.

Finally, we moved on to her emotional development. My grandmother always has had a cheerful and easy going temperament. She was an outgoing, fun loving child who loved everybody and in turn thought that everybody loved her. She was happiest when singing, laughing and being creative. Her mother was an artist and encouraged her to take on hobbies such as sewing her own clothes, making cards, and painting. She was a compliant easily pleased daughter, and in her family she was the first born.  She paved the way for her younger brothers in every aspect of life. During adolescence however, my grandmother does admit to “rocking the boat” from time to time, but over all she feels that her personality hasn't changed much over the years. When questioned about the strengths of her personality, she replied that her greatest strengths are: being able to see the best in people and encouraging them to develop. When asked about her weaknesses she replied that her greatest weaknesses are: talking too much and laughing at the wrong times. As she gets older she doesn't expect her emotional state to change much in the future.  She feels that as long as long as she is loved she won’t become bitter. My grandmother follows the psychological activity theory of aging, she has kept herself interested and active and she has always been full of life and love. Even now, at age 68, when facing her future she is looking forward with excitement and anticipation.     

Here is an audio recording of our interview: