Family and inspiration

Tonight while I was driving home from work, I was thinking about all those profile sections that Troy, Brewton and Atmore have been doing in the past few weeks. I know ours for the Star-News is coming up and of course I was thinking about who would make the best stories. Naturally most profile stories are about people - feature stories on people who have impacted the communty.

So, I came up with the three people who have been inspiration in my life.

The number one inspiration on my list would be my mother, especially since she raised me on her own since I was six. My mother was always there for me, even when I wasn't the best daughter. She raised me in the church, taking me to Sunday school and Vacation Bible School throughout my young years. She taught me about God and Jesus and how to always put my faith first and trust in God. Through all her trials, my mother was strong. She went through losing my father, back surgeries, and a stroke that eventually led to her leaving this world.

My second inspiration would be my Uncle Clyde - my mom's brother. Those of you who have known me for a long time probably remember my Uncle Clyde. He lived with us all of my life and he was the one person that was constantly there for me after my mother passed away. He and I were close and we took care of each other - more me taking care of him since he only had an eighth grade education. He went to church every Sunday and was there for every service. He enjoyed singing in the choir, though he couldn't really read that well, he knew almost every song in the hymn book. Uncle Clyde was with me through my first year of college and in the fall of 1999, he fell on a fishing trip and broke his hip. He underwent a hip replacement and complications set in. He went to USA hospital in Mobile to have his stomach removed and never came home.

My last inspiration would be my Uncle Robert. I know I don't talk about him much and there have been times when I deeply dislike him, but he is a great man. He has always put his faith in God first and led his family from his study of the Bible. My Uncle Robert and Aunt Gloria moved from Pensacola in 1995 to Andalusia so they could become my guardians. I know it was a hard transition for my Aunt Gloria, who loved the city. But it was never a hardship for Uncle Robert. He loved the country - and the country life. He loved the old home place - "the country house" that belonged to my grandparents. He still lives there to this day - even though he's well over eighty. He and Aunt Gloria made Andalusia their home and Mobley Creek their home church. Uncle Robert willingly took over Sunday school duties and leading the choir. If anyone in my life knows God's unfailing wisdom and will, it is my Uncle Robert. Uncle Robert knows the Bible better than anyone else I know. He has notebooks full of notes on every book in the Bible that he uses for his Sunday school classes. He never fails to go to church every time the doors are open. Through his trials and the loss of my Aunt Gloria, he has always been strong. He has had a mild heartattack and does not hear so well anymore, but still he presses toward the mark - to the high calling of God.

These inspirational people have touched my life and have made me the person I am. They have taught me to always be strong and even through my faith wavers at times, to always keep God in my life to guide me.