August 01, 2006

THE LONG FAREWELL

Sorry to say this, but the Salad has been a bit somber of late.

That won't change any time soon, unfortunately, due to the loss of Salad Wife's grandmother, Atherline Shealy, who left us at age 94 on Saturday.

Chick1.jpg

Grandma Chick was the portrait of Southern strength and steely determination, even to her last days. I'm proud to say that Salad Boy had the blessing of spending large amounts of time with his great-grandmother in the past four years, a rare opportunity not many young people get to bond with such an elder member of their family.

Chick2.jpg

What did I learn from her?

That brawn and girth are no match for mental toughness. That dignity is found in your marrow. That faith is nourished in a private chapel in your soul. That not every thought needs to find expression and that words are more precious when there is an economy of them. That pride can be quicksand and boastfulness a tarnish to a good name.

If there is a legacy I want my boy to take from her, it would be those qualities.

That and the fact that unconditional love is the ultimate prize.

Chick3.jpg

This is Chick with her beloved husband, Oscar. To say they were in love and adored each other would be to understate the situation wildly.

It is a testament to their dedication to each other that when he left her side a decade ago, not even the love bestowed by a dozen family members and friends on a near-daily basis was enough to fill the gap of the six decades they spent as husband and wife.

Chick4.jpg

We will miss her sass and her great sense of personal, understated style. We will mourn her passing not for the death it brings but for the loss of a friend and loved one. And we will celebrate her life this week in her native South Carolina as a woman who showed us that family is the only true treasure.

Posted by Jeff at August 1, 2006 05:20 AM | TrackBack
Comments

That's a fine memory. She sounds like a good person to know, and a good person to remember often.

Posted by: Scorpio at August 1, 2006 09:27 AM

Jeff, thanks for sharing with us this beautiful caption of a life well lived. Salad Boy is indeed a lucky lad, as are all the Salad family, to have experienced the gift of knowing elder generations in the family. I hope the stories that will be told in South Caroline bring about much laughter and memories.
M.

Posted by: Martha at August 1, 2006 02:54 PM

What a beautiful smile she had! I found myself smiling as I looked through her pictures. And I loved the list of things you learned from her and decided to share. Those are qualities we could all stand to learn from.
Jeff, I am so sorry for all that you have been through these past few weeks. My sympathies to all of you at this rough time.

Posted by: Laura at August 1, 2006 04:40 PM
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