Grandmothers are Sheros

It was during a recording session for the Sister Love: Untethered and Under the Radar podcast with friends and guests Lena Robinson and Contessa Bunn,  when the topic of our grandmothers came up.   Contessa had shared she recently lost her grandmother, the late Willie Mae Ball (April 8, 1929 - December 30, 2019).   She shared fond memories of her 'Big Momma' who was one of nine children born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and later as an adult lived in Oakland, California.  Contessa told us how her Big Mamma worked many years in janitorial services and how she was a strong and proud woman yet a devout Christian who always saw fit to help the less fortunate.

During the "She-Rise She Rose - Sheros" segment that honors a sung or unsung hero,  Lena announces that her grandmother Lena May after whom she was named,  is her Shero.  I in turn was compelled to call out my grandmother's name Chandler "Babe" Harrell affectionately known as Ma'Dear  who was also a wonderful mother, sister, grand and great grandmother.  We all recalled special gifts like their cooking or special dishes like macaroni and cheese or ham, collard greens, cornbread dressing and  the desserts like sweet potato pie and bread pudding.   More fondly are the memories of antidotal sayings about the "peoples ways" and even their temperment or scoldings. 
In that moment, we all were present and felt the power of honoring these special women.

Grandmothers are the pillars and their predecessors where pillars and so on.  Time goes by however, in hindsight we realize how much we take the wonderful and dearest things for granted.  All grandmothers are special and dear.  A chiropractor I once worked for once said, "I buy my mother flowers every month since she told me give me my flowers while I'm living."
This is an early Mother's Day honor to all grandmothers and mothers who are the Sheros.
Listen to Sister Love: Untethered and Under the Radar.  With Love.    Song B.