I lived in five homes with my parents when I was growing up. Two of the houses were in Natick, MA and three of the homes were in Newton, MA. This is the house I feel that I truly grew up in. My parent’s owned the house for thirty years.Both of my parents are blind. My mother lost her eyesight at twenty one. My father lost his eyesight in a chemical explosion when he was sixteen. He also lost his left hand in that accident. My parents met at the Carroll Center for the Blind located in Newton on Center Street.
Despite his handicap my father forged on and graduated from Boston University. He went on to receive his Doctorate in physics from Brandeis University. My mother is a published poet and she has performed dozens of recitals each year over the last two decades. We were very lucky to have such brave and intelligent parents, who gave us the opportunity to grow up in Newton.
There are many amusing stories that can be told regarding my childhood. I am the middle child of three. My brother and sister stayed pretty close to home as children. But I was an adventurer and I had no fear of getting on the local Green line at age seven and discovering what was at each stop along that line. I was a little social butterfly, and the police, sent out to find the missing Melissa, would often find me entertaining elderly ladies on their front porches. Those were simpler and safer times.
I have very fond memories from my childhood. As an adult I am still exploring the New England area and I love it here. Home is where the heart is. I went to school at Mason Rice Elementary School, Weeks Jr. High and Newton North High School. My children attended the Waldorf School in Lexington, Burr Elementary, Day Middle School and Newton North High School. It is wonderful to have many shared experiences with my children because Newton has been home for all of us.
Melissa Ostrom
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