I’ve been working since I was 14 years old – I was a dishwasher at Silver Towers Camp in Ripton. Now I’m finally getting close to retirement and what I’m looking forward to most is taking care of my granddaughter more often. She lives up in St. Albans, which is about an hour and a half away from where I live.  

Family has always been a big part of my life; it’s the most important thing to me. I’m the oldest of 8 kids. I grew up taking care of babies and little kids, cooking, and keeping an eye on everyone.  When we were young, our family lived in New Haven and Shoreham. We mostly kept to ourselves, so my siblings were my playmates and best friends. When I see my granddaughter playing, I remember going out in the woods with my brothers and sisters. We spent so much time outside making forts and using our imagination. We were farm kids, and the outdoors was our playroom.  

The same thing happens when I see my daughter parenting. Lots of memories of raising her with my husband, who used to work at Porter with me, and lots of memories of my own parents, who both passed away a couple of years ago.  

Swimming is something else I want to do more of when I retire. I started swimming as a kid going to Branbury Beach at Lake Dunmore with my parents. We would spend hours boating and swimming, and we would have a picnic. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday. I miss my parents, but I still feel close to them.

I brought my kids to Branbury, too, and we will bring my granddaughter once she gets a little older. That’s one of the things I love about family: It keeps you connected. I have lived in Addison County my whole life. I’ve worked at one place almost my entire career. This is my home; I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. But it’s not just the place that’s important, it’s the people, the relationships. It’s the memories and the way past, present and future are all wrapped up in one another here.  

Melody Wolcott is an Environmental Services Tech at Porter Medical Center. She has been with us since 1979.