Hey y’all!!

For my returning readers, I see you! To my new readers, I’m so glad you chose to stop by!

One year ago today, my grandmother, Alice Ware, traded her earthly dwelling for her heavenly home. Didn’t like it then, don’t like it now, but I’m so grateful God assigned her to my life.

There are too many adjectives to describe her. So, to sum it up, she was truly a God fearing, phenomenal woman.

If you had the honor and privilege to know her, you know she was a special lady. She had a commanding presence and sweet spirit. She walked in a room and would change the atmosphere. She was THAT lady!

My grandma was super classy and chic. She made sure her hair was done and her outfit was on point. That’s how she carried herself up until her transition. This lady woke up, saw people in her room and had the nerve to fix her hair. That’s just who she was.

My grandmother was full of love. She loved everybody and everybody who is anybody loves her. She was the type of person who made you feel good, made you proud. You could be having a bad day and she’d give you an encouraging word, a hug, a smile and it would change your day and how you felt.

Her love was unconditional; she showed it through her various talents. She was an amazing cook, she had an alto voice that made you want to know who she was singing about, she was genuine, and everything she did, she did in excellence.

Listen… if you ever had my grandma’s chicken salad, potato salad, or hotdog chili, you already know what it is! NOBODY and I mean NOBODY can compete with her in those dishes. She was famous for her chicken salad and potato salad.

People would ask for her chicken salad and potato salad recipe, make it, and say it doesn’t taste the same. It was how she mixed it, she put in work, that good ole elbow grease! She put on some gloves and used her hands and mixed that thang. I never understood how she knew when it was ready, but she would say “It’s a feeling. I can feel when it’s right!” My Aunt Resa had a trick, or so she thought, she would cook all the ingredients and ask grandma to mix it.

As many times as I’ve stood in the kitchen and watched her make these dishes, I still don’t have it. I do good when making hotdog chili. Last month, I got the courage to make chicken salad. It was good, it’s not hers, but you know she taught me. When it comes to potato salad, I haven’t got up the courage to even try it.

My grandma had a way with the men folk. I don’t know how she did it, but men, young and old, made sure she was protected and respected AT ALL TIMES! I can’t remember a time ever when a man didn’t acknowledge her presence. Opening car doors, pumping gas, fixing things for FREE, getting a discount on whatever, it was she bought.

If my mama, my aunt, or me introduced her to a male friend or significant other, they grew fond of her quickly. They’d call her just to chat or tell on us…snitches. I always asked, what makes you so fond of my grandma? Resounding response, she’s loving, and she passes no judgement. She’s just a good person, it’s just something about her.

I used to ask her all the time, “girl, how do you do that?” She would simply smile and say, “I’m a lady.” Now that I’m older and a little wiser, I know she thrived in her princess and queen energy, yes ma’am she was a pro!

One of the biggest lessons my grandmother taught me was to be authentic. She endured some rough times in her life. People abused, betrayed, and used her but she never withheld love from them. Love was her superpower. As her granddaughter, I will say that is NOT my ministry! While she was praying for her enemies, I was preying for her enemies.

I remember asking her why don’t you get even, cuss them out, something? She said, “You reap what you sow.” My grandma was soft spoken, so cussin’ and fussin’ wouldn’t work. She couldn’t even yell. Seriously, her yelling was me talking softly. She saw her enemies out and about, in church, testa-lying, and would smile, speak, and was unbothered. I’m over here like let me get ’em!!

Her words: “Dee, never let them see you sweat. When you’re unmoved by them they never know what you’re going to doing. Keep them guessing!” She showed class, grace, and forgiveness.

I’m like Tina Campbell, “I love Jesus, I want to be like Jesus, but I ain’t Jesus!” I like the Old Testament, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. See, God ain’t through with me yet.

Grandma was a songbird. She had a beautiful voice and between the time she woke up and the time she went to bed you can bet your bottom dollar she sung at least once. If she wasn’t singing, she was humming. She always had a song on her heart.

She taught me most of what I know about singing; how to harmonize, how to blend, how to adlib. She passed that down to me and Meyrah. Honey, Meyrah and grandma have written several singles and covered several songs. “This is the Day” is their #1 hit!

I loved to hear and see her laugh; it was infectious. When she got tickled, she’d grab her stomach and throw her head back. She’d laugh about something for days! Especially if Meyrah did or said something – chile she wouldn’t quit laughing. Lord knows if she would of saw mama slide down the steps…mama would NEVER live that down!

Most importantly, she loved the Lord. Her faith was her anchor. There was nothing too hard for God. She was a praying woman and I know for a fact she prayed a lot on my behalf. If you ask me, without a shadow of a doubt, she is God’s favorite. He gave her joy, unspeakable joy, no matter what life threw at her. I was able to witness what that type of joy looked like. That’s one of the ways I know God is real!

30 years of fun, joy, laughs, pain, and tears cannot be captured or summarized in a blog. To be honest, this blog doesn’t even do her justice, but it allows me to share some of my cherished memories with the greatest woman in the world with y’all.

She was my best friend, my cheerleader, my confidant, my prayer warrior, my supporter, my teacher. She was more than life to me.

My world is a little smaller, my laughs aren’t as hearty or as loud, but I take the lessons she taught me and pray that I make her proud.

If you still have your grandma around, do me a favor and love on that woman! Learn something. Make sure to give her flowers while she’s still on this side of heaven. Do all you can while you can cause the inevitable is going to happen and you don’t want to be singing your should of, would of, could of.

Alice Ware, thank you. Thank you for 30 years of unconditional love, lessons and prayers. Thank you for everything you do for me. I can never repay you, but I hope I make you proud. You are my superwoman. I never thought you’d leave so soon but whenever God called you home would have been too soon. It’s never goodbye – just love you, see you later❤️.

I’m out y’all😢!

~Dee