Celia Mae

I have not written in a while, a very long while and who knows? It may be a very long while before I write again. But I was sitting here this evening with so many things that were on my mind and there were so many things I wanted to express. And I thought “Um… hey there Missy… Remember that little blog you started a while back? Maybe you should start there… hmmm… just an idea?!?!” Wow, I’m so bright sometimes!

Today is October 8, 2013… yesterday was Monday, October 7, 2013… my grandmother’s 96^th birthday. Yes, I said 96 as in 4 years less than 100, a complete century. And I was so lucky to be able to spend the entire day with her. We celebrated starting at midnight and didn’t stop until almost 11:00pm last night. We sang, we prayed, we visited with family and friends. She's obviously a favorite at her assisted living home. (I know, such a shock!) We had cake and sang some more… she got to hear from most of her great-grandchildren and even received a few kisses. She had special entertainment from Dana and his guitar. He sang some of her favorite ol’ Baptist hymns. I’m thinking “I’ll Fly Away” was her favorite… at least it was one of mine. 

I'll Fly Away

It was such a great sing along and just made my heart happy. The day was perfect except for one thing, our dear Grandma Celia wasn’t actually there. Well I take that back, she was there physically… she just wasn’t able to participate.

Grandma is sick right now and Hospice has been by her side continuously for the past four days. I rushed down to Greenville on Saturday after being told that “it wouldn’t be long”. I just wanted to get there one last time to tell her goodbye and wish her well on her “journey to the promised land”. I really NEEDED to squeeze her hand and tell her how much I loved her. And I did just that… about 50 times. You see Grandma is still hanging on. She’s still with us! She has defied death and kept Hospice in amazement at her will to live. Wow.

My stepfather, John, has called my grandma “Colonel” since the day he met her. Reason being, he said that she gave way more orders than any of his Colonels in the Army. And that is Celia, bossy and wanting things her way! But while that’s one side of her, there are so many other wonderful elements to her. I was thinking on my way to Greenville this past Saturday the things that remind me of her:

• ·      Her love of Jesus and her sweet church, Hester Baptist –she even has a Sunday School class named after her. I remember Grandma working on her “lesson” (as in Sunday School lesson) every Saturday night. She loved teaching Sunday School and loved the ladies in her class.
• ·      Purple (her favorite color…happens to be mine too)
• ·      Fruit Chews (guaranteed there would be “chewies” in her purse if you went to church with Grandma)
• ·      Sunday Lunch… we had lunch with her every single Sunday and it was a BIG meal! This was no meat and three... more like a two meat and eight. In her opinion, the more the merrier with food and people. She welcomed everyone!! You never knew who was going to be joining you at Grandma's table on Sunday. And we always used her sterling flatware... every week. No special occasion needed.
• ·      Which leads me to… the dining room table… it was a huge, round table and had a lazy Susan in the middle that was almost the size of the actual table. She could fit more people around that table than could be believed. It was a talent. You would be astonished.
• ·      Her baked goods… cakes (caramel, devils food, coconut, pound, chocolate, german chocolate, etc) and her fried pies. What I wouldn’t give to have another… and her banana pudding.
• ·      Christmas at Grandma's--HUGE tree with EVERY SINGLE branch having an ornament and the lights must be perfect (believe me, we helped decorate annually), BOILED CUSTARD and Scrabble (the food, not the game – Grandma’s own version of Chex Mix – only prepared around Christmas!) Oh and Grandma saved all gifts from her clients throughout the season to open on Christmas night. (it took forever!) She loved the Christmas season so much. I honestly think that's where I developed my love of it as well. 
• ·      Lovely Lady Beauty Shop and perms (I can’t believe that I still have a “healthy head of hair” thanks to all of the perms from Grandma, although she used to say I had two heads of hair thanks to chlorine and sunshine in the summer)
• ·      UNC Basketball – Lordy that woman loves Carolina basketball more than anyone I’ve EVER met. She would fight you tooth and nail to the point of tears in defense of the Tarheels. I can only hope and pray that when Dean Smith makes his grand entrance into heaven that he will find Celia and shake her hand because she’s deserving… and maybe a jersey with Ellington #96! After all, she scrubbed heads for many years to put three kids through Carolina.
• ·      High Heels and Earrings (affectionately known by Grandma as “Ear Bobs”) Celia Mae loved high heels and had the most beautiful collection of shoes. She was distraught when she could no longer wear heels. Being that I am vertically challenged like her, I completely get it.
• ·      Coca-Cola – Grandma drank Coca-Cola first thing in the morning until she went to bed at night, almost every single day of her life… and it must be poured over ice or from a glass bottle. That habit has trickled down a couple of generations... :)
• ·      Her garden – full of vegetables of all kinds that could only be picked by her. And her beautiful rose bushes! True talent and a green thumb!

I could sit and type all night about the different things that remind me of her, but mostly she was the epitome of a true, strong, God-fearing, southern woman. She has endured things in her lifetime that most people never will, including but definitely not limited to the untimely death of a child. She has prevailed through it all and held her head high. All the while, never questioning her faith and wondering, “why me?” There were no pity parties being held at 517 College Street! Grandma, with all of her controlling ways, has always had a heart of gold and been more than ready to serve whoever was in need. Normally she was there at your back door, cake in hand, within five minutes… and if you were lucky, she always remembered your favorite kind.

I don’t necessarily know why I felt the need to say all of this, but I truly felt compelled. Maybe I wanted to have something for my own kids, nieces and nephews to remember her by or maybe I just needed to do this for me…

I just got a text from Mom that everything with Grandma remains the same. God is going to finally take her “on that long trip” as she's so eloquently been telling us she was going on EVERY year since 2000. We don’t know if it will be tonight or He could wait a few more days. Bottom line is, God may be trying to guide her to the “pearly gates” but those of us who know Grandma Celia know that she “ain’t goin’ nowhere” until she’s good and ready. I’m just thankful that she is resting peacefully, free of pain and going “home”… her eternal home. I can’t help but be reminded of a favorite song of mine from my kids’ VBS soundtrack this past summer.

“And with your final heartbeat 


Kiss the world goodbye


Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side,

and 
Fly to Jesus

Fly to Jesus


Fly to Jesus and live!”

–Chris Rice

We love you, Celia Mae and are so fortunate to have had you in our lives. You're such a blessing to us all.

Untitled Hymn