Mary Robinson and Janet Robinson

00:03 My name is Janet Robinson. I'm 39 and today is October 25th, 2013. And where in Los Angeles, California?

00:14 And the partner this morning is my mother.

00:20 My name is Mary Robinson. I am 75 years old today is October 25th, 2013. Where in Los Angeles California and my partner is my daughter?

00:37 Okay, Mom. Do you remember what was going through your head when you saw me for the first time? Yes, I said oh my God. I said to you that she looks just like my sister exactly like Julie. That's what I said and I have always said it's pretty cool that we have the same birthday. So, what did you think about having a baby on your birthday? I had thought about that. I hadn't planned it. None of it was planned, but it was getting close to my due date. And to be honest with you my doctor my obstetrician was going to be going on vacation. And since it was close to my due date was January 18th. You were born on the 7th and I go that's my birthday. And so my doctor told me it was close enough that she may be able.

01:37 To induce me and I thought I told you I want to be induced because I'm an OB nurse and I knew that sometimes induction side not good and just let nature take its course, but I love my doctor so much and she was going to be gone for 2 weeks. So it's going to what's going to run over the 18th, and I thought okay if I get induced if it's not time, it won't take and they'll just let it go so long, but it took and that's how you were born on my birthday and it just sort of happened, but it was a wonderful birthday present.

02:21 What was I like as a baby?

02:26 You were kind of a colicky baby and you cried a lot at night. And I remember one of the obstetrician said I work with because I worked labor and delivery and I were quite a while while I was pregnant with you and I was on the midnight shift. I work the 11 to 7 and I remember one of the doctors was dr. Sayer. He said to me one reason they called me Robbie on the job and he said Robbie one reason that your baby probably cries. You got to remember straight through this pregnancy. You've been up all night. So she's probably got her nights and days mixed up. I still do. Yeah. Yeah. That was one of dr. Sayer. He thought that that was why you were kind of a quiet night and sleep.

03:26 Do you remember any of the songs that you used to sing to me when I was little?

03:37 Skeeter's and Muhammad in the honeysuckle sleep Kentucky Babe. Sandman is a common clue to This Little Light of Mine Kentucky face. Silver Moana shiny. Probably just pining for his little lady is my favorite, but you are Maddie lucky rice and sleep.

04:18 Fly away and rest.

04:29 Laying your little curly head on your mommy's press.

04:44 Sleaze and usually you would be asleep and I can tell you you do remember you do you remember so that was that was that was wonderful for me to what were the hardest moments you had when I was growing up.

05:20 I guess the

05:25 There were not not a lot of hard moments. You were a very good child growing up because

05:34 With your siblings I had there was Robbie Julie and Susie and then a 10-year weight and you came along. So basically you were by yourself. And as you can see in our age difference, it was like I was having another starting another family or less cuz your brother when you were born was 17 and a half. So and you were not a planned but it turned out to be a real blessing so you that was what's good. It was good. How did you find out?

06:21 I had was I was using Family Planning birth control, but something went wrong. I don't know. I don't know what and I found out because I noticed I was starting to I go. Oh my God big her something's going on here because I was always kind of my periods were regular and I took a pregnancy test and I was pregnant Fry's surprise surprise because I really had decided with within the 10 years of it. That was it a son and two daughters.

07:11 So I was surprised when I when I found out that I was pregnant with you and I have to say I had some concerns and because our work labor and delivery M&I. My obstetrician was a lovely female and I talked to her I have found out I said, oh my God, I'm pregnant and I don't know my baby's going to be dead and this pregnancy and she knew that it wasn't planned and I remember her looking at me. One thing. She said I'm Catholic and you know, I don't believe in abortion. That's what she said. So she said the thing is she was very strong women's rights. I wouldn't suggest it but because of your age I was in my late 30s out by the time you were born. I was going to be Thursday.

08:11 And Society had my oldest child when I was maybe 20, she said it may be something you want to think about and I can send you for counseling and being a nurse. I understood that and I'll be honest with you I thought about it. But then again my spiritual beliefs came in thinking that you know, I hadn't planned this pregnancy, but here I am pregnant and it's almost some

08:44 Divine intervention intervention maybe and so I thought you know, I'm going to have this baby and I have to say off for my doctor. I worked with her for quite a while. She said I think you're going to do very well. I think this is going to she said if you even though you're in the high-risk age if you take care of yourself, and you usually do that, and I'm going to be your doctor and just kind of watch we'll be monitoring your butt pressure and blood sugar is all of that. You should do fine and I think this is going to be of a cup of blessing for you.

09:28 Thanks for having me. You're welcome. What is your favorite memory of me or of us together?

09:43 I have lots of of favorite memories of us together. I will have to tell you that I prayed a lot before I moved out to California and Michigan from Michigan I hit interview for a job in Long Beach and it was I've loved the weather because it was so as you know, it was so cold, but in my prayer time I have to tell you I didn't say anything to you, but I kept thinking if I relocate to California God, please make it work out for Janet and if I move cuz I was moving away from my roots my family. I was from a big family and as you know and my dad

10:43 Why my dad wanted to know why California with all of the earthquakes and everything and I had to tell him, you know, I'm just sort of tired of these hard long Winters and I'm getting a really they're giving me a really good opportunity and at the VA hospital in Long Beach and I think I want to try it but even with that and my I will add this my dad said he didn't think it was a good idea because it was so far and because of the earthquake but my mom says I think it may be something that will

11:28 Be good for you and what I thought with it and I told my dad one thing that I can do. I can always come back. But if I don't take this opportunity and the way the door open for me to get the job in California, I thought I might not get that opportunity again. And so I said, you know that I'm going to I'm going to move and I will be coming back often but the hard part was going to be I wanted to make sure that you would be okay and and you were going to be going into junior high school and you had some very well in grade school and it was going to be a switch.

12:20 Sorry, talk to you about it. And of course the parent make the decision. Well, I'm glad we moved. Okay, I'm glad to hear you say that so I'm just going back when you ask where you difficult. Not at all. Not at all. And you were in.

12:48 Accelerated program and I checked out the school system in Long Beach and found out they had a very good reputation and I wanted to make sure that we were moving to a school district. That was a very good school district and at that time I had checked at Michigan State through them and they said Long Beach California was very good school system. And so that's how we got to Long Beach.

13:24 React when you told her that you wanted to move to Long Beach when I when we were kind of.

13:35 When we were talking when I told you we're going to move I think I don't know if you remember it, but you told me that that you're going to miss your room and your friends and Heidi is Kanna.

13:56 And to make a change was going to be may be hard, but I said you're probably get new friends. And so we'll see but I think by that time I had decided that

14:14 I had prayed and I believed in the power prayer and I thought okay, if we move and doesn't work out and I hadn't decided if you would run into problems in California. I would move back to Michigan.

14:33 I was one of the best things ever. I'm glad we moved so I'm glad to hear that always always and I'll never regret being born and raised there. But I love Mom Beach in California. So it's it's so funny that I'll just say at this I can remember. I think we maybe have been here three or four you do remember when we went back. I think it was during the winter and it was a holiday season and we had a direct flight from Los Angeles, but I think it was to Cincinnati and we're going to have a short Friday from Cincinnati to do to Detroit.

15:22 And I can remember you said in the airport that you just fell so out of place and I knew you had made the transition to California one thing you mentioned. I don't see anybody but white people in a few black people and see you have been accustomed to California being multiracial and that I just knew that and it made me notice to the changes that I had had my roots being in Tennessee to be raised in Michigan and then transition to the West Coast. I like that to I'd like the multi-cultural.

16:13 And the weather and so I knew you were you were changing.

16:20 If you could do everything again, would you do anything differently Would You raise me differently? No, I would not I I think for all parents at least for me because you have three older siblings and I was a younger parent when they were born and then I had that 10-year rest and then you I was a better mom to I have learned a lot from being a younger mom. And so I have often thought that part of why it wasn't hard for me and wasn't hard for you that I had learned so much from being a young woman having you having three older siblings and then the various life changes that we as a family had gone through.

17:14 I was a better mom and I'm sure it affected you because you're very different from yours your brother. Of course, he's a male and and and your two sisters. But yet you guys are all a lot of like into can I go out workout? I had the best of both worlds because I have siblings and they're awesome siblings and like I used to joke. I have two dads and three months but also because they are so much older than me. I was like I only child so I got really lucky. Yeah. I'm curious if you had to describe me to someone. How would you describe me?

17:57 I would describe you as a deep thinker.

18:05 Really you're very smart and I am so proud of that you stick through two things. You were an excellent student you one of my concerns would have been by you moving to California in as a junior high a teenager. How would you adjust?

18:33 And I remembered you in high school. Do you remember when I told you that you were in the band and I wanted to make sure you were getting some music and the Arts and everything and you kind of in the 11th grade lean toward may be getting with the group's it shocked me that at the high school that they had sororities you wanted to pledge. I was so against that but do you remember when I took you to maybe buy you were supposed to make some pills or something? I was so against that but I was trying to be a good mom and say maybe it's my age but oh, I don't agree with this. I don't believe in sororities for high school girls, and it was just

19:33 I don't know what happened. We went shopping. You got everything to make the pillows and the part of they were supposed to steal you or something at 5 in the morning and take you somewhere and I was supposed to look the other way and that whole nine yards. I'm not sure exactly what happened. Maybe you could tell me but all of a sudden you just said, I don't know if I want to do this anymore. So I don't know what happened and I don't know if I really remember I was there remember you got everything for and there were two different ones and I can't run. I think I bought out of and one of them. I don't think I got selected. So it was semi traumatic but okay, so but but it worked out. Okay, and I got over it. Okay, that was a hard part for me because that was when I felt that whatever reason.

20:33 I took a chance and said I would go ahead and go along with this. I wasn't into that at all. So I was very very thankful that whatever happened that you decided. I want to do this anymore.

20:53 So and then of course you were moving into your senior year. That was your junior year and you have a was too young to be doing sororities in high school looking for a steel think that but I do think that as a parent you probably have to do it. I thank God that I did what I did but you you made the decision. So to go along with your question.

21:29 I thought you were making your adjustment was very good. And you've always make good decisions. So saying what I think about you.

21:39 It's been tremendous. I'm very I'm very proud of you as as a young woman. I think you've made excellent decisions. You have worked hard. You still work hard you have excellent values you have stuck with so I am so I am so proud of you. I have to I have to I have to watch that. I'm as one of my clients has said to me. Are you flossing in other words that are you are you bragging so I have to watch that. I'm not bragging when I talk about you. I'm very proud of you as an individual. I think you've done an excellent job considering being having three older siblings and the move and everything. It was it was it was awesome. It was all

22:39 So I'm very very proud of you and your smart. Thank you. What are your hopes and dreams for what the future holds for me the future holds for you?

22:53 I think I mentioned it to you last week. You were the speaking to me about of I know you have several suitors that I have called you and I know sometimes you you wonder about it.

23:14 But I just feel the best is yet to come for you. I think the best is yet to come from you and because when you and I were talking the last time and we were discussing, I'm one of the persons that you had talked to and I thought oh, I don't know how that's going to work out. But something within me said that you because of the way you've always been you will make a decision and the right way and my prayer is that you would get some someone who

23:52 I have to just say it would love the Lord and would be a person who would really love to treat you as a wife like Christ treats the church. That's that's your mom's prayers. And and and I feel like The Best Is Yet To Come. So I think it's not over yet.

24:19 Healthy

24:21 How do you feel about the fact that we're neighbors now? I recently bought a condo near you, and I wondered what you thought about it. If I remember when you asked me to look at it, and your your realtor said you're going to move down this close to your mom. I looked at her and and and I kind of listened to you, and you said all we don't have a problem like that, which is true and you were right now. I'm so happy. You're my neighbor, but I forget you down there, and it's like I don't check on you every day, and we just seem to have even with the RH difference and everything. I was telling your siblings that you kind of we know each other, you know, when to check on me and and I know when to check on you and so you're you're

25:21 Do you like my other neighbors?

25:25 Okay, I do that here there but you're a neighbor that I can read your kitchen. Yes. Yes. I'd like to cook that. I know your favorite foods and I know when you're going to recover and I made sure that we have that.

25:51 Has your life been different than what you'd imagined? It would be like

25:59 In one way and in a very good way and I have to add in my spirituality to that because I'm second oldest of 11 kids and 7 girls and

26:17 Nobody has ever left Michigan, but me and the Seven girls are the first ones are my dad was very hard worker. He worked in a job worked all kind of hours did everything so as an African-American on my mom would talk to us that education will make the difference.

26:42 I saw that I sort of I was raised when I was 14. I went with my mom to clean someone's house.

26:52 And I think they made $6 a day and I can remember the lady told my mom to get down to clean. My mom asked where was the mob cuz she had I was working with her and she had gotten everything done and the lady said oh, I want you to clean the floor on your knees. And I remember saying on my mom's not going to go on her knees. I was 414 $6 a day. I did the floor. But while I was cleaning the floor I said, I will never do this. This is America. This will not do this and I can remember seeing what my mom was saying how education made the difference and you have to remember we came up when there was no financial aid. So you just have to work hard and I think that

27:51 For my children and my you know how your aunt's we've always stressed that our kids would get a college education. And even though was African-American, sometimes you're always

28:05 Last hired and the first fired you still need your education and it has paid off for me. I wouldn't do anything different. I'm very thankful that I'm in a profession that I really have a passion for what I do. I love it and I think that being African-American and being an African-American nurse.

28:31 I've been able to have compassion with people because of my background as an African-American nurse and there's not a lot of us and I were management. I've worked with clients of God gave me an opportunity go to University of Michigan and I really appreciate that because during his time when I went to school that was a very prestigious college and nursing program and I learned a lot there. My training has helped me all through California from going to U of M. I was able to be in the International Nurses Honor Society Sigma Theta Tau which has been a blessing for me. That was I'll be on some of my dreams but I worked hard for it.

29:28 I'm very thankful to God that I had the intellectual ability to be able to do the academic part of it. And if I have to do anything else I wouldn't be happy. My life has been exceptionally blessed.

29:52 And even though as I have have aged and I my Mobility has changed and I'm not as fast as I used to be. I'm thankful that my intellectual ability and my job and my nursing I'm still doing it. I can still do a care plan and I can still just I mean, it's it's just sort of a part of me and I'm very thankful. So when you asked me if I wanted was to change anything in my life. I wouldn't change anything because had my life been any different I would not have the compassion that I have with what I do and I love what I do and how you do your good nurse. Thank you.

30:39 What are the most important lessons you've learned in life?

30:43 Most important lesson I've learned in life is

30:50 I haven't always felt that way but the two main Commandments that Jesus said I can't explain it without saying it when he said to love God with all your heart would beat the first commandment and the second is to love and treat people like you want to be treated like yourself and he said that on this to rest all the other eight Commandments and it's true if you can love God, I feel and love love other people like you love yourself. That's it the rest of it seems to flow.

31:32 We talked about being a nurse and you're still working right now is a public health nurse, you know, just two or three days a week, but I know you're thinking about retiring completely at the end of the year and that's a big decision for you. So how do you feel about retiring itsfunneh one of the programs that I helped Implement of from Sacramento for the City of Long Beach?

32:00 When I started out they just had a grant for maybe a year. So nothing was in place and I was sort of I had been a manager for Memorial Medical and the chief nurse asked me if I would take it and I wanted to know what they had in place. They didn't have anything in place. So I started out with nothing and they just had this proposal that they had written. So they had all of these things that they wanted the public health nurse to do, but I hadn't done a lot of Hands-On, but I was going to be working with a Hands-On with a single moms.

32:43 And

32:45 I told her I would try it and then if it was stressful or if I felt I couldn't do it cuz I had been kind of working in management but I started to do it and I loved it and because of my experience as a labor and delivery room nurse and I had told you that when I was working labor and delivery while I was pregnant with you. I had no idea of moving to California getting back to that. So

33:13 I started it and they kept redoing the grant what is happening now is after seven and a half years. The grant has been stopped because of things that are going on here in the state and I had to decide if I'm going to retire and the chief nurse said to other programs that I was working with that I can maybe do 17 hours a week. So am I still in the process I have until December 31st to decide if I'm going to go retire from the city and the two programs that I'm still doing or

33:58 Keep going and I'm still in the process of deciding. I'm getting close. I was pretty much sure I was going to go on retired, but after talking to the manager of one of the programs and then the chief nurse because they there's no no no hiring freeze.

34:19 I'm and I'm there so I may stay but I have another month or so to decide you're not going to retirement.

34:29 I hope okay.

34:32 I just think she loves it too much, but we'll see started from the program closed when when the program when she said the program was closing.

34:46 I was surprised I was little I was grieving a little bit that this is so I was like this was my baby. It is over.

34:59 Well, I knew how important your spirituality is to you sold. My last question was going to be when you meet God. What do you want to say?

35:12 I'm sorry, I didn't hear that when you meet God. What do you want to say to him? What are you going to say? I'm so glad to hear it's so awesome questions to ask you why but that I want to just thank you that I've never had anything that you didn't see me through. I just love the way that no matter what happened you were there and it may look Grim have look Grim to me but you already knew and I'm so glad that you were all knowing and even when I didn't know what was good for me you knew and you open those doors for you for the best and you close doors for the best.

36:05 Well, I just wanted you to know that I think you've been awesome mother. Thank you appreciate that. I appreciate that and I respect you as my mom but as a thank you and as a black woman, thanks, and I have so many wonderful memories of us over the years.

36:31 Take me to slow you very much. Thank you. I feel it. I feel your love. That we got to do storycorps. I like been waiting forever to do this and thinks it's just you were kind of like what is it is but you really didn't know playlist do it. So if you've always been like that whenever I had questions or something, I want to try or something I want to do or an idear your eyes like, okay go for it. Let's do it. That's another thing. I appreciate appreciate about you and you're a great cook. You're very giving person like all my life there people who would come over for holidays and you always said people you were befriending at work and in the community, I just want to I've told you before but I wanted to be all record forever. Just how much I love and appreciate and respect you and your beautiful person on the Earth.

37:33 Thank you. Thank you both cry a lot.

37:44 It's just been it's been a joy to be your mom. I'm so proud of you and I need you and I have said that and I was thinking this was going to be something for you. You just wanted to let me know how much you love me. Love me so much to me as a 5sfe labor and as a Christian.

38:15 It means so much to me to see the kind of woman you are you know, and that's why I tell you I really feel the best is yet to come for you guys got some good things for you because all of the things that you have said about me.

38:39 When you tell me what you're doing with your job and how you handle your your students in your classes that you teach and how you are with people. I've always been very very verbal.

38:54 You have a very gentle quiet way and you are very good listener. You're very good listener, which is a good thing. And so I just think that that's why you're in your your next one counselor. Thank you cuz you listen.

39:16 And you just have a I'm just so thankful of Your Love of the Arts and everything that the opportunities that you were given.

39:29 You took advantage of them in a very positive way. So we made a good team disa.

39:37 I love you Mom. Good love you, too.