"My
Grandfather was smart and had a whole lot of pride. He didn't speak a
terrible amount, but you could tell there was a ton on his mind-like a quiet
acceptance of how life had turned out" F. Ocean
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| Melton and Millie Powell |
If you are reading this, whether we are friends, family or complete strangers, I ask that you would take the opportunity to lift up a prayer. For my Grandmother Millie, who lost her husband. For my aunties and uncles, who lost their dad. And for us grand and great-grands who lost Granddaddy, Melton Powell who passed on December 21 at the age of 90. Bless the Lord, he was able to live out his final moments at home.
Legend has it that he made the best moonshine east of the Mississippi. Folks would come from miles to spend their hard-earned money for a drink. Fact has it that he enjoyed time spent with Grandma Millie, proven by 63 years of marriage and raising 6 kids.
My mom called him "Short
Cake" based on his height. She adored his slow, smooth voice and
Southern drawl. He loved to go
fishing and he had an impressive green thumb. As I sifted
through my dad's albums for a good picture of Granddaddy, I discovered he
rarely photographed alone.
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| Naysia and Granddaddy. Summer 2001 |
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| Granddaddy and Samorai. June 2016 |
He was patient with the little ones. The first time Naysia met him she was about 3. She spent several of her awake hours chasing after Granddaddy. Naysia was enamored by his garden and repeatedly pulled onions from the ground. He couldn't keep up with her and bribed her with quarters and potato chips to stop the foolishness. I had the pleasure of being there when he met Chai's daughter, Samorai. We were able to capture beautiful photos as he loved on his newest great-granddaughter.
You never had to wonder what he
thought about your appearance. If you looked good, strong, healthy, too
much makeup, not enough makeup, too skinny or too fat Granddaddy would let you
know. He lovingly talked trash and was far from tender as he whooped me
during a game of Checkers in the winter of 2012. Loren described him as a
purist, I would agree.
Although the majority of my
healthcare career has centered around caring for seniors, this was my first
personal experience of loving a family member with dementia. For the last
few years Granddaddy had difficulty recalling who we were. The last time
we visited all together there were pockets of clarity mixed with belief we were
his children and a few minutes later we were complete strangers. But in its
entirety, he welcomed us into the family home and was happy we were there,
thrilled in fact!
I thank God for the memories, good
genes, and life lessons be them known and unknown that he passed on to all of
us. One less person gathered around Grandma Millie's table-- you will be
missed. Rest well, Granddaddy.
