Editor, My great-grandmother, Authalia Cox Long, reminds me most about all six pillars of character. My great-grandmother was born in 1914. Her parents pastored a small church and farmed for a living.
My great Granny Long demonstrated responsibility at a very early age. She was the oldest of eight children, and while her mom and dad worked in the field, Granny Long had to prepare meals for her entire family.
Her father taught her how to cook on a wood stove when she was only 5 years old. Her parents trusted her to take care of her younger brothers and sisters. She learned a lot about caring for a family.
When my granny was 16 years old, she married Great-grandpa Long,and they started their own family. Together, they raised six girls. Granny Long always treated her girls fairly and never had a favorite.
My granny and grandpa raised their family near an Army base in south Georgia. On Sundays, my grandpa drove to the gates of the Army base and picked up soldiers and took them to church. My Granny Long fed them lunch every Sunday after church.
My Granny Long never thought she had a ministry, but at her funeral this year, one of the soldiers she ministered to 55 years ago spoke about how she and grandpa changed his life.
My Granny Long made a difference in many people's lives. She raised her daughters, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren to be kind and respectful to everyone. When she was old and could no longer take care of herself, her girls took turns spending everyday and night the last two years of her life taking care of her.
Even at the end of her life, when she was 92 years old and could barely take care of herself, she would ask her girls before she went to sleep, “is there anything I can do for you?” And these are some of the reasons I chose my Granny Long to write about.”