Decisive Influence

Who is this beautiful lady? What was she thinking? What was going on in her life? Was she longing to be in the arms of her new love? Was she the model for a new cosmetic line?... hmmmm, those lips look familiar.

Maybe she is a relation of some sort......... See any resemblance?

{ Ok, I did emphasize the lips slightly...you know I love my lipstick!}

Her name is Beatrice Maryann Edgley. She is my Great Grandma. Isn't she beautiful! She was my Mom's grandma, obviously, I have been thinking quite a bit about her lately. She was a woman of adventure, providence, love, thoughtfulness, graciousness, forgiveness, humor, she lived off the land and worked very hard. Most of all she was an example of what a woman of God should be. Yes, she made mistakes, don't we all, but she righted her mistakes and took the high road.

She was a woman that loved family and surrounded herself with her loved ones. Even after she divorced her first husband, he and his new wife were included in festivities. This was the norm and none of the grand kids thought it strange{the High Road}.

My mother enjoyed her relationship with her grandma. One thing that my Mother enjoyed was going to church with her grandma. My mothers parents were not totally active in church, and this opportunity gave my mom a chance to learn Gospel principles and see her grandma in action. The seeds of my Mom's testimony were nourished and strengthened through this experience.
The influence she had was like a small ripple in a pond. I don't know if she realized how big that pond might be or how far those ripples might go. Generations will have felt the decisive influence of this wonderful woman.

Here she is with Grandpa Corbridge. This is how I remember her. A whitish gray updo with a big smile. She had a miniature china doll collection. Maryann and I would run to it immediatly when we arrived at her house and peer in longingly.It was housed in a short glass case in her living room. Sometimes she would take one out of the case and let us hold it, always with a smile. She also had this miniature soap collection in the bathroom, and occasionally would send me home with a secret treasure. The one thing she always brought us were lemon drops contained in little prettily decorated tins. Sometimes Grandpa would bring us oranges. Always some small treat when we saw them.

I remember watching a landing on the moon at their kitchen table on a small black and white TV. They also took Maryann and I for a ride around the neighborhood to see the Christmas decorations. We swam in the pool and joked with grandpa.

Just like the lips, we have many more similarities that were either inherited or taught to us through the generations. Their blood flows through us. The DNA is there. We are a part of them and they apart of us. We work hard, play hard, laugh at life, have Type A personalities, are giving, and so many other traits because of them.

We are linked physically and spiritually like it or not. Yes, we do choose our actions and others not related have influence too...Okay maybe the environment. We are by no means clones or robots, but I just have to sit and talk to my son Jack for a minute and I hear and see his Aunt Debbie. They look a like and talk a like. He is rarely around her, yet they are cut from the same cloth.

It all comes down to family. The link is there pushing us forward. I am so grateful to be a part of the ripple or wave that is my Great Grandmother. I feel her love for me from beyond my reaches. I hope some day to embrace her like I did when I was a child and say thank you. Thank you for my mom.