One of the most surreal days of my life was the day my Granddaddy died. As a ten-year-old fifth grader, death was not on my radar. Granddaddy was diabetic, but he showed no signs of feeling poorly. The Saturday before he died, I remember him going with us to pick my cousin up from baseball practice. The day after, I saw him at church, and then he went to a family reunion (and thankfully he had the time of his life). Then Monday came. He and Granny ran some errands, he ate lunch, and then he went to take a nap. Before he walked into the bedroom to lie down, he looked at my grandma and told … [Read more...]
Memories that Shape Us: Miss Betty
When I was a kid I had a “Miss Betty.” If I could give a gift to every child in the world, I would give them all a Miss Betty. Miss Betty was a teacher at the school where my mom also taught and I met her when I was four. She and my mom became friends and I used to go over to her classroom occasionally after school. She was so busy, but she always treated me like I was very special, which is probably why I visited her all the time. When I was seven, my parents bought a house across the street from Miss Betty, and as you could imagine, I went to see her constantly. When I was eight, I named my … [Read more...]