A testament to my Matriarch -A celebration of a life well lived 

rodney c



Most people consider having one mother and father a blessing, but I am beyond merely blessed in that I had more than one mother and father.  Our family may be strange, but the women and men, uncles and aunts, worked collectively to mentor, nourish, tutor, educate, chastise and rebuke all of us.  The bonds of paternity and maternity were imbued into our family's core.  These bonds account for our success, strength, resilience, and spirituality.  And while all our aunts and uncles fulfilled these roles, my Aunt Edith epitomized this broader mothering and consequently represented our Matriarch.  So, on this day of celebration, I, with gratitude, humility, and appreciation, thank God for allowing her in my life for all these years.

 

My earliest remembrances of our Matriarch were as a child, every Christmas, while other kids were getting toys, games, and such -Aunt Edith was giving out books.  Yes, books.  How I complained about those books. How I had no clue that she was planting the seeds of my future, a future that was surrounded by, encapsulated by, and engulfed by books.  Books are my life, world, career, and reality.  And it was Aunt Edith, in her wisdom, that laid the groundwork.  Wow.

 

Those who know me and my past know I was not the model child or most likely to achieve or even survive.  So, while many gave me up as a lost cause, the steadfast love of our Matriarch sustained me, uplifted me, forgave me, and never gave up on me.  When I was lost, wallowing in the pit of despair and failure, Aunt Edith would smile and push me forward in her own quiet way.  Her never give up attitude gave me the courage to stand up, walk tall, and grow past my mistakes.  She upheld me, loved me without measure, and told me I could do anything but fail. 

As I stand here, I do not admit sadness, for she left me joy; I do not admit the loss, for she is always with me, and I do not admit grief, for she filled my heart with laughter, my soul with wonder, and my life with love.  Thanks, Aunt Edith, for being more than an aunt, more than an adult, and more than a role model.  You were my guide, #1 supporter, and Matriarch. Thank you for living and being all that I ever could pray for, thanks for the love and attention, thanks for the unquenchable faith in me, and thanks for being you.

 

rodney

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