wayfaring in Waycross: visit with those passed and present

Yesterday was spent in the presence of my ancestors.

There was no rush, as I was the first to make landfall in this southern town.

Amazingly, I found my path to Thomas Cemetery as if I had been there just a few months ago.

I think it's possibly been seven years since I last stopped at this small clearing.

My first visit was with Grandpa and Grandma Lee.

Then I crossed the aisle to Granny White's side.

She's the reason my family has people here; she was a Thomas before she wed Grandpa's dad.

I wandered around in this land of the past, checking for more with the Thomas and Lee names, making a note of their birth dates and death dates for my genealogy studies, taking photos of their markers.

I visited Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Pearl, too.

Then, as the sun was fading, I went to Comfort Suites and got settled into its warmth.

I called Bonnie to check in with her, but they were not yet in from Alabama.

They were going to stop in Blackshear for a visit with the boys' maternal grandmother before deciding where to stay for the night.

I invited them to share my suite, as it had two queens and a sofa bed.

As it was, they stayed at the Comfort Suites in that town.

I think it was the name of the hotel that drew them in, as it had me.

We all convened at Miles-Odum Funeral Home this morning.

I was so glad to see her car in the parking lot!

Then, she came rushing up to hug me as soon as I entered!

Ah, yes, we both so needed that long hug!

It may have been three years since our last one, but we made sure to get in several while we were here.

We picked right up with each other as if it had only been yesterday since we last dined and had a movie together - 'twas wonderful!

She was so pleased at the nice memories I had shared with her of Bobbi playing with the boys and Bobbie helping to take care of Daddy and getting him up and down their stairs.

 

Then I was reintroduced to Bobbi's birth father, Herschel Bacon.

They had both forgotten the cookout at Bonnie and Daddy's when I had first met Hershel, but I had not and we all enjoyed sharing that memory of a happy time.

He's just a year older than I am, but he had lived a "free-spirited" life, like his daughter Bobbi had, and the years had left a mark.

He's been clean and sober the past few years, though.

Hopefully, his other daughters will learn from their sister's early death and make changes in their lives.

Here's the younger of my Alabama nephews, Conner, taking solace in his "Rick and Morty" hoodie.

He even played part of a John Legend song, "All Of Me", playing enough that I surprised him when I recognized the tune.

The man beside him, Boyd Griffin, is the the only Grandpa he has ever known, as Daddy died when the boys were still toddlers.

Boyd and his wife, Medina, had adopted Bobbi and her younger sister when the girls were young.

Bobbi had five sisters in all; the three older girls went to foster homes when the birth parents gave them up. 

And here's my younger half-brother, Mike, with my other nephew from Alabama.

Merritt sure does look a lot like Daddy did at his age!

No wonder my mother had fallen in love with him!

Merritt and Conner will both be taller than their dad, so Bobbi did a great job with her prenatal regime.

It's important to remember that she was not always addicted to drugs, that she had a kind heart, that she loved her children very much.
The memorial service was performed by Bobbi's cousin, Rev. Tyler Hayes, probably close in age to her.

He performed three songs: John Michael Montgomery's "I Swear"; Luke Combs' "Beautiful Crazy"; and Vince Gill's "Go Rest High On That Mountain".

The middle song must have had meaning for Bobbi and her sisters, as they all began crying for that one.

It was new to me, but certainly a song I could believe that she identified with.

Boyd got up and spoke a few words about Bobbi, then one of her nieces came up and gave a truly heartfelt speech about her Aunt Bobbi.

That reminded me of how much my niece Christy loved her Aunt Gail, who was so much like Bobbi in her lifestyle and poor choices.

Every family has at least one person who has fought drug addiction, it seems. 

So sad.

Again, I hope Bobbi's sisters will learn from her mistakes and take this opportunity to get the help they need to make better life choices.

Now, I'm waiting for Bonnie to text me and let me know they are safely returned home.

I'm glad I made this journey, but I look forward to seeing them again in June.

That reunion won't be for a funeral.