Great Granny Bessie

I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the past. I look back and think about all of the people that had an influence upon my seemingly insignificant life. Feeling as if I was only a spec flowing in the breeze, unnoticed and unchanging.

I think of my Great Granny Bessie, she was a force to be reckoned with. Nobody messed with granny! She had a strong and compassionate heart. But, you knew not to get on her bad side or you were hunting for a switch. Granny was old school country bumpkin. She believed that a firm hand a a good switch was the way to keep the kids in line. I think I would have to agree on the firm hand but I will leave out the switch part. There were times that even an adult or two were told to go find themselves a switch.

Granny liked a little coffee with her sugar and cream. She would drink it all through the day and into the twilight hours. I am not even sure that Granny ever slept. Granny would sit at the dinning table most of the time, while she drank her coffee concoction, smoke and play cards. Occasionally we would see her sneak a swig of the old Formula 44D that used to sit behind her. If she got caught she would simply say that she had a tickle in her throat.

Granny loved to dance, drink and listen to music. I guess I would have to say that she gave me my love for music and card games. Granny gave me my strength to persevere and to have compassion. I forgot how to persevere for awhile but as usual she still is in my heart telling me to get up an get it done. She lived to be 87.

As I start my journey into my past, I am finding that when it matters most, you will find that you do have a reason for being and you can "get up and get it done"