My Angel

First of all this is a story about an angel. have you ever met one? Well our family was raised by one. I guess this could be a story about my grandmother, but really it's about a "lady" that was a friend, a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. When you mentioned the name Norma Spence Malone, the expression that would come on faces were so much alike. First the eyes shined, then there is a smile, that would say, "yes I know that wonderful woman". She was a simple woman, but made such an impact on people, she came in touch with. She had nine children, 2 sets of twins(that couldn't have been a picnic) but she gave so much love, she had 4 boys and one single girl. The two older children must have thought "hey we were here first". I have talked with the children, and they talk about how hard it was growing up and things they had to go without, but none of them express they were without love.

I don't want to leave my grandfather out, but please remember the times we are looking at, are the 30's and 40's. This was a time when a man's main interest was providing for his family and working his crops. I can't think what my grandfather would say if someone said "before you get angry count to ten". Oh yeah he would yell and count later. He knew he was married to someone special. A lady that had given him a family that he was proud of. The art of disciplinary was his. The art of loving was grandmother's. Of course she had to be stern, but she was so caring. As the children grew older they immediately wanted to leave home, because they worked hard since they were small, and they thought the pastures were greener away from home. Sometimes when you are having a person trying to mold you into a person people will later respect, you can't see that.

Grandmother was always there for all of us grandchildren. If we had a problem, she would listen, sometimes she would even be on our side and try and talk to our parents. As we grew older and had our families we understood that the wings on grandmother covered us when we were troubled with our lives. It's hard to tell you how my life has changed not having my grandmother to call on the phone or take a trip to her house, where she always had cabbage waiting for me. Well all of us have our memories so I suggest that you sit in a quiet place and focus on knowing an angel. I know that the thoughts may go to your special moments with my grandmother. So let me close this by saying it truly was a pleasure being a granddaughter to an angel.

All my love Dale
May 1997