As Bad as Mamaw Justis

I underestimated my grandmother, Wilma Justis. It wasn't that I didn't respect her. In fact, I always admired how she could focus all of her concern and energy on others. It was just that she seemed unhealthy and physically weak. I was wrong.

I guess I was fooled by how she ate a funny diet due to digestion problems. She seemed to go to Doctor Frank's office weekly.

But I learned that she had hidden inner strength. Immediately after she delivered her fourth child, the doctor said, "Oh, here's anther one." She delivered twins that day.

Of my four grandparents, I thought, because of her health concerns, she'd probably pass away first. Wrong again. She survived my grandfather by thirty years, reaching age 97.

But where she especially excelled was in her deep concern for her family. She worried. When one of us suffered, she suffered.

My uncle Richie expressed it best:
"We have a saying at our house, 'You're getting as bad as Mamaw Justis.' All of Mamaw's children and grandchildren will relate to this story.
"She is always concerned that we're working too hard, not getting enough rest, not eating right, and especially not warm enough. Her first act when she greets us is to hug us, and check our ears, arms, and legs, and ask if we are warm enough.
"One cold day, my daughter Janell was going out to play, and Gwen was dressing her. She put on plenty of socks, undershirt, sweatshirt, coat, gloves, cap, and boots. Janell could hardly move, and she said, 'Mom, you're getting as bad as Mamaw Justis.'
"So whenever someone shows extra concern for another, we use this phrase. Wouldn't this be a fantastic world if everyone was as bad as Mamaw Justis?"


Papaw/Dad/David - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad