The neighbors joked that, no matter how big the meal was, the children always found a way to eat it all.
But behind the humor lay a deeper truth.
They were hungry children who grew up in difficult times.
Food was expensive.
And nothing was taken for granted.
The children who learned responsibility at a young age.
The oldest children grew up faster than children today.
There was no other choice.
In a time when everyone in a family counted on his or her contribution, childhood also brought responsibilities.
The eldest son was only fourteen years old when he began working regularly in the fields.
He worked with his father.
He learned the same tasks.
He struggled with the same fatigue.
He was still just a child, but he understood that his younger brothers and sisters depended on him.
He was not the only one.
Older children helped with the upbringing of younger children.
