It’s funny how something can be wonderful and deeply sad at the same time.
One of Appalachia’s sweet ladies is at home in heaven today. Earlier this year I wrote about my friend Anne–Queen of the May. Her 96th birthday was on May 1 and last night she slipped into forever.
A child of Kentucky, Anne would tell stories about growing up on a farm, attending a one-room school, spending time with her grandparents, briefly working in New York City, and raising her girls. She was a bit of a muse for me. And she still is.
I’m happy for Anne today. And I’m sad for her family who loved her so. I’m sad for all of us who knew Anne and will miss her and I’m sad for those who never got to meet this sprite of a lady with dancing eyes who loved nothing so much as a good book.
That was the thing about Anne–books. I think that as soon as she learned to read she picked up a book and only put that one down long enough to pick up the next. When visiting her she was always surrounded by stacks of books. If you checked out books from our church library, odds were excellent that Anne’s name would be on the card already. She read everything and was happy to tell you what she thought.
She read my first novel while I was still shaping it. She read each book as it released and her stamp of approval meant so much to me.
I hope there are books in heaven. I can’t wait to hear which ones Miss Anne will recommend when I get there.
An exceptionally nice tribute to a great lady. Of course, I would expect no less from you, Sarah. ________________________________
Thank you.
My own mama is 91 and it’s amazing to think all the changes she has seen and adapted to. I cracked up when she asked me to Google if feeding bread to birds was okay (a neighbor told her it wasn’t).
I love that she knew you could “google it!”
She can Google her own questions, but I was handy. I think she is the only one in her group that even uses a computer.