Mary & Jimmie Ray
Because of life’s unexpected circumstances at the age of eight, my younger brother and I was blessed to move in with our fraternal grandparents Jimmy and Mary (AKA Madear) Ray. My grandparents worked as a team to help keep a strong connection with our mother during her sickness. They made sure we understood the importance of keeping families together. They were hard workers. My grandfather worked at the post office, paper delivery, Air Force Reserves, shined shoes and cut yards for the elders in our neighborhood. Mt grandmother was a RN. She was taught old home remedies by her mother and she took the time to teach me those same home remedies. Not to mention she practiced them on me, so I know they work. Madear believed and taught me to trust and depend on God to help me make my own path in life and that together the family should work like a village to help each other.
Emma Jones
Emma Jones is my material Grandmother. She stopped working and took care of my mother during her sickness. She worked with my other grandparents to make sure that all the gaps of not having our parent’s active in our life were filled. Grandma Emma did not have a lot of money but she showered me with love and nurture. She and I spent time in her garden getting our hands dirty and talking about all the things I could accomplish if I pursued a higher education. She shared how she married and started a family at the age of thirteen. She never finished school, three young children and her husband killed in the war so she had to take hard working common jobs to provide for her children. Now I understand why education was so important to her.
What gratification it is to nurture a child then observe the promising outcome of a successful adult male or female because you cared just enough to make difference in their life. My grandparents gave me that opportunity and I want to continue to broaden that legacy.
Mrs. Elrod
Ms. Elrod was a teacher at my junior high school. She noticed that I would isolate myself as often as possible in our sewing class. She observed my abilities to catch on to techniques and sewing terms. She began to ask me to tutor other girls that were a little behind. I loved it. She showed that she was interested in me as a person. I was able to share with her about my mother something I did not do. And she held me. I could feel her sincerity in her arms and her tears on my forehead. She invited me to come and talk to her anytime I needed it. And when I did feel like talking, we sewed together.
