I love people watching...you learn so much from people- be it people that you know or people that you dont know, people that are your cloest friend or people that are merely aquaintences, people that are part of your family or people that have gone before you...
I remember growing up- watching my grandmama and pappy. My grandma was one of, if not the, strongest women i know. Not only did she raise my father- but she did it better than anyone could. She was strong- both as a woman and a Christian and a mother. I remember going to McLeoud and sitting by her. During the service, i remember trying to do just what she did, trying to behave to make her proud. I hope that i did- and i hope i still am now. I remember when she died. It didnt come as a surprise to me becuase she had been sick for a while. I remember the hurt that i felt when she got the point when she didnt know who i was anymore. I think that i saw her once in the last 3 months of her life. I just couldnt bring myself to go see her. i knew that she would understand. I wanted my last memories of her to be the same they had always been....i didnt want to remember her as a women so badley beat by age....i wanted to remember the same grandmama that i had already known my whole life. It hurt more than i could ever put into words to ee my grandmama, the strongest woman in my life so phsically weak. My only peace about her death wa knowing that she was not in pain anymore, and that her identity in Christ was her strongest attribute. I know she is in heaven right now and God is busy filling her crown with all of the jewels she deserves!!
I think what made my grandma so strong was her marraige to my Pappy. My Pappy was a hell of a man....there is no other way to describe him. He was amazing and there is no doubt that my father is a product of him. He was one of the smartest men i know- probably the smartest- although he only completed 11 grades of school- thats all he needed. He was already smart enough. He had a heart of gold. He allowed God to be his strength. in the 15 years of my life that he was in, i never heard him raise his voice. When he spoke, everyone listened. When he spoke, his words were soft, but firm. I was his curly top. His death came as such a shock to me- to everyone. He died in his sleep. When grandmama was telling about that night, she said that he went to sleep before her, which never happened. When she came to bed about an hour later, she patted him like they always did before they when to bed, and for the first time in her life, he didnt pat back. She knew then- but in her strength, she wanted to spend one last night with the love of her life. So she did. She slept one more night with pappy in that bed, knowing that he was already gone. The next morning, she called my aunt, her sister, and the day went on...I know that my pappy is in heaven now. I cant wait to see him again...
