Love Can Build a Bridge

I am one of those guys who likes to listen to music, I think its a way for us to escape into a little avenue of ourselves, and just be US...not the person that everyone sees. You'll sometimes see me in my car just singing along with my CD or whatever song is on the radio, or you'll here me crank up my music @ the house and sing along with it as well....but I also like to write on how a certain song speaks to me, which is what most of my blogs will always be, mainly because sometimes a song or a quote is all that is needed to explain a situation. Take for instance, the song by The Judds, the famous mother/daughter duo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd. They have a song called Love Can Build a Bridge. I listened to this song after my Grandmother Sue passed away and I couldn't keep myself from crying each and everytime. I still do it to this day. So let me tell you my story about this song.

We'll start with the day I was born, a cold wintery December day in Beaufort, South Carolina, it's about 3 A.M and God tells me its my time to join the world. So my mother gives birth to me, but its a complicated birth from what she told me, I came out with my umbilical chord around my neck, so I couldn't breath. It was a scary moment for my family. Well little did I know, (of course me being a baby, I really didn't know a lot) my Grandpa had married the women I would call my Grandma Sue a few years earlier. Now I know what some of yall might say, how can a person your grandmother if you're not related by blood, well this is where the song comes in, and I'll explain it to you a little more later. Now, I don't remember first meeting my Grandmother Sue, because I was probably too young to remember, but I do remember visiting her, especially when we were finally East of the Missisippi in North Carolina. When we were in California, Idaho, and Oregon (we being my family of course), well we didn't get to see much of our family here in the South. It was just too far of a drive, and really we couldn't afford that kind of traveling back then.

But once we moved to Memphis, it was a totally different story. I got to know my Grandma Sue very well. While she may of only been my Grandmother by marriage...not blood...she was my grandmother by the strongest force possible...love. Love build bridges stronger then anything that blood or man can build. We really got to know each other during our stay @ Foundry Hill Campgrounds when we went up during the summer for my church's reunion. I remember laying in my bunk reading the Teen Study Bible my grandmother just bought for me and I asked, Sue....do we call you Sue or Grandma Sue, or Grandma...and she, probably for the first time having to answer a question so innocent...answered with the answer of a Grandmother....she goes...We may not be related by blood, but we are related by love, you are all my grandchildren...and I proudly call you that...you can call me sue, Grandma, Grandma Sue...whatever you like...and in unison...me and my sisters all said...you're our Grandma....and that was that. When it comes to knowing who you family is very important. I'm proud to say that my grandmother was one of the most influential persons on my life. It hit me pretty hard when she died back on September 7th of 2001 of amyloidosis. A rare disease that attacks all of the organs, and most doctors don't find it until major organ failures are in full swing.

A week ago, I went to visit my Grandmothers grave site...kissed her stone and said a silent prayer. I hope she was watching me, I had a feeling she was, cause everytime I think about her I get goosebumps. I also get a tear in my eye, but that's just because, I can't understand why God had to take her away.

Even to this day I question why he did that. It's not like he doesn't have enough Angels up there...Hopefully I'll get to understand why things happen...but for now...I'm left to ponder.