In honor of Mother's day I have a personal confession to make right now.....I am going through one of the hardest times in my young adult life. I have been hiding it because I have been in the become a soldier for life boot camp for the past weeks I feel. I have been working, writing, traveling but I had to travel to go see one of my favorite ladies. My grandmother, Carlene, and my great-grandmother, Margie have both been sick for the past year or less. I haven't been able to really talk about it except for with family, with my growth group at my church (yes Honey Brown Sugar goes to church I am not all party girl believe me God always come first believe me and our relationship is getting better lol!). I am trying to remember the first time I saw my great-grandmother or my grandma. My grandma Carlene I. Dubard was born in Jacksonville, Florida on September 9, 1928 she was raised with her brother Jewell, (he passed in March of 2011), and moved to Brooklyn, New York when she was 19 years old for a new and better life.
Obviously she met me as an infant . She met me right when I was at the hospital in the incubator as a preemie in November of 1986. I didn't realize how much of an influence she really would have on me though. In a lot of ways just being a lady. She taught me you can be strong, you can be confident, I used to be shy around her, but she taught me so much, just spoiled me rotten purses, jewelry,perfume, and she took helped me with some of my trips as well. She had grown up with boys, 1 brother, and raised three boys my uncle Juan, who I have written about in the past (he passed in November of 2011), my father, Jewel, (she named my father after her brother, and my mom gave me the name as my middle name), and my uncle Andrei (he passed in April of 1995). I admire her because she raised them mostly on her own. She was married but she did the work trust me, she went to college, always believed in education, she became a nurse and worked for about 35 years retired in 1990. but she would get in the ring whenever you had some kind of serious battle or obstacle. That's just how she was and I admire her strength, her honesty, how she can crack any joke and make you laugh too. I love when she curses lol! A grandma with sass and profanity funny recipe.
The biggest lesson I learned from her was I believe you have to stick with your family no matter what the situation has been, if it's difficult and tough, continue on, keep finding a way to fight for your family, and being able to enjoy yourself as well. I have had so many fun experiences with her, shopping, yes she's the one who I got the shopping gene from actually. My grandmother can stay in a mall for 3 hours or more when I was kid, so trust me I know. We shopped a lot when I was a kid. I saw her recently just a couple days ago, and seeing her helpless, not being able to walk, move, it's tough, when you have grown up with someone who has had the ability to move, who worked long hours, who can travel up and down stairs. It was one of the hardest things I could ever watch and go through last week.
My great-grandmother, Margie Catherine Wall Joplin Gillespie she was born in St. Louis, Missouri, she was born on June 16, 1922 to her mother Bessie, she raised five children two girls, my grandmother, Shirley, my great aunt Marie, my great uncles: Alan, Jessie, and Michael. I can tell you seeing how she raised all five children, she worked as a postal worker, she has seen the world traveled, been married, partied, she loved, she taught me a lot, I stayed with mama Margie as a little girl in St. Louis during the summer, I met her when I was about one I believe. My mom brought me down, she threw my mother's reception for her wedding, when my parents were married back in 1983 (later divorced in 1995). Her last husband walked my mother down the aisle, he and I his name was Marion we were very close. I still remember him forever. He would yell and call her "Marge!!!" and she would answer sweetly, "Yes Marion!". They were the cutest when they were together. He was crazy about her trust me. I remember I asked him once to kiss her and he did. It was adorable. They were married about 25 plus years.
So she has been a part of my life, she believed in me, she told me Chloe you're going to be a star when I was little. My funniest memory of her she made me stand up when I was a little girl in the church during the visitor announcements. Me going through her jewelry, seeing her many photos, I thank god for all of those memories, they are precious, rare, and beautiful etched in my mind forever. They remind me it was all real, it was something that I needed to remember. I thank you for teaching me patience, teaching me about enjoyment, about beauty, how to treat yourself as well. I remember those mornings seeing her watch Matlock, going to dance with the Crystalettes, how she was apart of her community, how she told me she was shy, I didn't believe it but she was though. I think she reminded me you can find love, you can find joy, you can live a long life, and take care of yourself. How important it is to give to people it's a blessing. I just truly thank god for these ladies and the lessons learned that came with every moment spent with them, and I will cherish it save my stories for my children, and share them.
Update- for Inside the world- My great-grandmother and my grandmother both passed away after I made this post. God called them both home in the same week. My grandmother Carlene passed on May 18, 2014 Sunday morning at 3:45 in the morning. She had suffered from respiratory failure, fell into a coma, she was taken off of life support and passed. My brother, Daheed and father were both with her at the time. I know she is in a much better place at this time but will truly be missed though. It's as if i can't erase her though.
My great-grandmother, Margie passed first May 14, 2014 I was at work at the time when it happened and she passed from natural causes she was 91 years old soon to be 92. This weekend will be her service. I ask you both to cherish every single loved one you have and definitely your grandparents if you are fortunate, and if your truly blessed your great-grandparents as well. They will be missed and I will carry a piece of them with me every single day. Love you both the service was beautiful and I attended on May 22, 2014 with my family in St. Louis, Missouri.
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| My great-grandmother, Margie, She strikes a pose with her flowers and gifts in her Crystalettes shirt June 2012 I got her the pink flowers lol! |
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| Kissing my great-grandmother, Margie at her old house the weekend of her 90th birthday party June 2012 |
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| My grandma Carlene with my father's dog, bichon frise, Lover taken 2014 |
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| My grandmother Carlene in the 1940s |
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| My great-grandmother, Margie with her mother, Bessie in a nightclub summer 1940 |
Obviously she met me as an infant . She met me right when I was at the hospital in the incubator as a preemie in November of 1986. I didn't realize how much of an influence she really would have on me though. In a lot of ways just being a lady. She taught me you can be strong, you can be confident, I used to be shy around her, but she taught me so much, just spoiled me rotten purses, jewelry,perfume, and she took helped me with some of my trips as well. She had grown up with boys, 1 brother, and raised three boys my uncle Juan, who I have written about in the past (he passed in November of 2011), my father, Jewel, (she named my father after her brother, and my mom gave me the name as my middle name), and my uncle Andrei (he passed in April of 1995). I admire her because she raised them mostly on her own. She was married but she did the work trust me, she went to college, always believed in education, she became a nurse and worked for about 35 years retired in 1990. but she would get in the ring whenever you had some kind of serious battle or obstacle. That's just how she was and I admire her strength, her honesty, how she can crack any joke and make you laugh too. I love when she curses lol! A grandma with sass and profanity funny recipe.
The biggest lesson I learned from her was I believe you have to stick with your family no matter what the situation has been, if it's difficult and tough, continue on, keep finding a way to fight for your family, and being able to enjoy yourself as well. I have had so many fun experiences with her, shopping, yes she's the one who I got the shopping gene from actually. My grandmother can stay in a mall for 3 hours or more when I was kid, so trust me I know. We shopped a lot when I was a kid. I saw her recently just a couple days ago, and seeing her helpless, not being able to walk, move, it's tough, when you have grown up with someone who has had the ability to move, who worked long hours, who can travel up and down stairs. It was one of the hardest things I could ever watch and go through last week.
My great-grandmother, Margie Catherine Wall Joplin Gillespie she was born in St. Louis, Missouri, she was born on June 16, 1922 to her mother Bessie, she raised five children two girls, my grandmother, Shirley, my great aunt Marie, my great uncles: Alan, Jessie, and Michael. I can tell you seeing how she raised all five children, she worked as a postal worker, she has seen the world traveled, been married, partied, she loved, she taught me a lot, I stayed with mama Margie as a little girl in St. Louis during the summer, I met her when I was about one I believe. My mom brought me down, she threw my mother's reception for her wedding, when my parents were married back in 1983 (later divorced in 1995). Her last husband walked my mother down the aisle, he and I his name was Marion we were very close. I still remember him forever. He would yell and call her "Marge!!!" and she would answer sweetly, "Yes Marion!". They were the cutest when they were together. He was crazy about her trust me. I remember I asked him once to kiss her and he did. It was adorable. They were married about 25 plus years.
So she has been a part of my life, she believed in me, she told me Chloe you're going to be a star when I was little. My funniest memory of her she made me stand up when I was a little girl in the church during the visitor announcements. Me going through her jewelry, seeing her many photos, I thank god for all of those memories, they are precious, rare, and beautiful etched in my mind forever. They remind me it was all real, it was something that I needed to remember. I thank you for teaching me patience, teaching me about enjoyment, about beauty, how to treat yourself as well. I remember those mornings seeing her watch Matlock, going to dance with the Crystalettes, how she was apart of her community, how she told me she was shy, I didn't believe it but she was though. I think she reminded me you can find love, you can find joy, you can live a long life, and take care of yourself. How important it is to give to people it's a blessing. I just truly thank god for these ladies and the lessons learned that came with every moment spent with them, and I will cherish it save my stories for my children, and share them.
Update- for Inside the world- My great-grandmother and my grandmother both passed away after I made this post. God called them both home in the same week. My grandmother Carlene passed on May 18, 2014 Sunday morning at 3:45 in the morning. She had suffered from respiratory failure, fell into a coma, she was taken off of life support and passed. My brother, Daheed and father were both with her at the time. I know she is in a much better place at this time but will truly be missed though. It's as if i can't erase her though.
My great-grandmother, Margie passed first May 14, 2014 I was at work at the time when it happened and she passed from natural causes she was 91 years old soon to be 92. This weekend will be her service. I ask you both to cherish every single loved one you have and definitely your grandparents if you are fortunate, and if your truly blessed your great-grandparents as well. They will be missed and I will carry a piece of them with me every single day. Love you both the service was beautiful and I attended on May 22, 2014 with my family in St. Louis, Missouri.
