Family

This weekend is my family reunion. We are looking forward to a fun time even though in the last 2-3 weeks one has had a major heart attack, one has had a stroke, and one was in a car wreck and has a broken neck. None of these should have survived, but by God's grace all are on the mend. We also have two new husbands to break in- uh, I mean welcome to the family. Basically, we have a whole lot to be thankful for! A little while back I wrote a poem about my Granny. She is not well enough to attend the reunion this year, so I thought I'd share it with y'all.

My Granny

My Granny has a servant’s heart
It’s the legacy she’ll leave
Many stars adorn her crown
On that you can believe.

Her life of serving started,
When she was still quiet young
Her mom was sick an in the bed
Leaving chores and little ones.

So my Granny had to grow up fast
Be strong and take the lead
Of ironing, washing, cooking
For the family she must feed

Then there came September
Of Nineteen Forty-One
When she said “I do”, she knew
Exactly what she’d done.

JW joined the Army
As the men did in that day
When he left to serve they knew
A child was on the way.

Next they moved to Dallas
To partake of city life
President of P.T.A.
Good mother, loving wife.

Life was kind of hectic
She was almost forty-one
And that is when she found out
God’s blessings were not done.

I guess things are different now
From how they were back then
But if family needed help,
Sometimes they just moved in.

And if they couldn’t come to her
Then she would go and stay,
Take care of them ‘til they were strong
And then be on her way.

After sixty years of marriage
Bad health put him to bed
My Granny held on dearly
To the vows she once had said.

So when he needed constant care
My Granny went along
The thought of living someplace else
To her, it just seemed wrong.

I know it seems that work, work, work
Was all she had to do,
But my Granny knew a secret
That I will share with you.

It’s really very simple,
You don’t have to be too smart
The secret to a happy life
Is to be a child at heart

So she’d play with you for hours
Cross-legged on the floor
Pretty dolls and plastic men
Great fun you can be sure

That’s why the kids a walking
In the from-school-to-home parade
Would often stop and have a snack
Or glass of lemonade

I know I won’t inherit
Fancy cars or diamond rings
But I’ve come to see
The best things in life aren’t things

Of all the gifts she gave to us
The best we could receive
Is a servant’s heart like Granny’s
That’s the legacy she’ll leave.