Granny's Love Never Dies and Her Joy Never Fades
This photo of Granny was taken as she arrived at our wedding in a Limo, on June 9, 2001. We sent the driver to pick up our grandparents for the wedding, because we knew they had never ridden in a Limo before. As you can see from the joy on her face, Granny was ticked pink about riding in that "big ol' car."
My beloved Granny Wright...she was and always will be a kindred spirit
with my own, and she gave me more inspiration to succeed than she could have
ever known. She was my shoulder to cry
on and my hand to hold in the midst of every storm in my life and every
mountain I had to climb. She was there
for me through the good and the bad, and she never doubted me, my motives, or
my dreams for one second. She was the
only person in my life who, I believe, ever truly, deeply believed in me 100
per cent, no matter what. I have grieved
for her loss for over eight years now, since she has gone on to be with
Jesus. I know she is in a better place
and is rejoicing in health, but I think of her daily, and what she would say or
do about certain situations. I still
find myself wanting to pick up the phone to tell her about things that happen
in my life, good and bad. I used to
actually dial her number for a while after her passing, before realizing she wasn't there to answer my calls. I pass
by her old house almost daily and want to stop by so badly…just to reminisce,
but it is now gated and locked up, belonging new owners outside the family. I always felt so connected to that land
there, where I used to roam about freely and happily in my childhood years.
Granny made me work, but she also made me
play, and I learned so much about myself and who I am today by reflecting on
those memories of her, her stories of the past, and the place she called home
the last 40 years of her life. Granny
was a one of a kind…just ask anyone around.
She was tough as nails and hard as a rock, but in the end she was still
human…a fact I failed to realize until her final year of life at age 86. I love to write, and, when I think back to where that love began, I remember myself as a little girl writing short stories and poems out on Granny's front-porch swing. I have lost a great physical presence in my
life since she has been gone, but her laughter and memories still fill
my heart and my home today, more so than I ever could have imagined while she lived
just a half mile “down the road.” I miss her dearly.
As I get older in life, I am finding
out more and more that I should have listened to all those "ramblings" about
family and connections that my grandmother used to tell me. Lorene Smith Wright was a wealth of
knowledge, but in regards to most of the people she talked about, I had no idea
who they were; therefore, most of the information went in one ear and out the
other. It wasn't until I had my
daughter, Kylie, that I became inspired to find out about my family
history. I then went to Granny to
clarify some of the things I remembered her saying in the past about my
family. At the time, though, I didn't know much of the big picture, and I only wanted to know about my direct
ancestors. I am now seeing that there
was so much more I needed to have asked her.
Their friend and family connections were very important to their lives
and why they were who they were. Most of
the things she told me, I did not write down, because I was sure I wouldn't forget. But I did forget a lot, so I
have had to find things out through different, more difficult means. A lot of her knowledge, I am sure, is lost
forever, but I am dedicated to finding out as much as I can about my ancestors,
so I can ramble on to my kids and grand kids about things they won’t know to
appreciate until I am gone. However, I
plan to put what I know and learn in writing through this blog and various hard-copy collections, because I know
that a written account is so much more concrete than word of mouth. My sweet Granny Wright passed away when my
daughter, Kylie, was only two years old, a few days after I found out about my
pregnancy with my son, Kaden. We named
him Kaden Wright Grogan as a tribute to her and my Wright family name. A friend once told me the following when I was upset
that my Granny never got to meet Kaden: “she did get to meet him, because she
went to heaven and picked him out for you.”
I know that God gives us the children he wants us to have, but that idea
has always been uplifting to me when I get sad and start missing my Granny. Until this day, Kaden still ascertains that he did, indeed, meet Granny in person...and, who knows, maybe he did. Her picture remains on our refrigerator, and she is an integral part of our lives in the room she loved the most: the kitchen. I often find myself having conversations about life to her picture, not even realizing that I am doing so, until someone comes through the house to ask, "Mama, who are you talking to?" I answer simply, "Granny." She had the most presence of any person I have ever had the privilege to know, and her presence lives on strongly within us, even eight years after her "physical" death.
Having said all that, my Wright
ancestors have always been more intriguing to me than any of the others,
probably because I still live in the community that they were such a big part
of for over 150 years. I have been so
blessed to be able to uncover some amazing clues about my family’s history from so many years ago. I still have much to learn about these
people who have inspired me to follow my heart and do more of what I love to do, which is to write. I have always loved and wanted to write, but I
felt that I needed something “special” to write about. I realize that the content of my family history may
not be intriguing or relevant to ethnically-diverse audiences, but I do hope that many
people can get a better understanding of their own families who were in this
area, specifically the Antioch, Polk County Community, during the Civil War
Era, and I hope that the stories will prove interesting and entertaining for
the reader. There are many people out
there with the “Wright” surname or with a relative of that name that I believe
can make some connections to the Wrights of my family. The information I have discovered about my
family makes history come alive for me.
I know more about how I fit into the history of my community, my state,
my country, and my world.
Finding out
all of this information has been no easy task, as I have spent countless hours
reading old documents and searching through genealogy websites trying to match
what I know with the research that others have done before me. At times, I have been so frustrated because I couldn't find all the answers or make an important connection, but I had to
come to the realization that I can’t let the things I don’t know get in the way
of the things I do know and can share with other people. I am hopeful that one day my children and
possibly grandchildren will be able to use the information that I have found
about their ancestors and their community to better understand themselves. I want them to be proud of their heritage,
not only their Wright heritage, but also of the heritage of all the men and
women that make up their ancestral past.
I thank God for all of them. We
are their legacy, and I am proud to be a part of that. I feel that family research gives a person
the roots to support their branches, and I am thankful for the information that has allowed me to compile the stories I have and share the connections I have made. I am appreciative to those family members who have answered my numerous questions and indulged my obsessions throughout this process. I believe God anoints us to do certain things
at specific times, and I feel that this is my time. I want to research and write while my
passion for the story remains strong. I
don't want to forget anything I have learned before I putting it on
paper, the way I had forgotten things before.
I believe this process is making me a stronger person with a better
understanding of myself and how and where I fit into God's Master Plan. I pray that God will use me throughout this time in my life to accomplish His
will. I am His vessel. God is my true inspiration, and He is the
most significant part of my family history. He is my Heavenly Father. I am completely humbled to be able to present vital information of my family and community, and I feel that God
is using me in the process to do things I am not yet aware of. My life and my dreams are in His hands, and I
am thankful that my dream of writing is one that He is allowing me,
inspiring me, and anointing me to do. God Bless!
Bobbie
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