My great grandmother lived to be 100 years old. She was born on January 9, 1913, and passed away January 25, 2013. My great grandmother was married to my late great grandfather, Curley M. Jones more than 55 years. Living in Roanoke, Virginia, they had 10 children together. My great grandmother was a devout woman and eventually was led to preach and minister at the Emmanuel Tabernacle Baptist Church. There she served for seventy years, blessing countless men, women, and children as she preached the Word of God. That is what my family members have told me. My earliest memories of my great grandmother are of her living with my aunt in Chesapeake, Virginia. She moved there so she could have someone to look after her in her old age. I remember when we went down to Chesapeake to see my mother’s extended family, we would always take time to see Great Grandma Jones. She would tell us stories about Great Grandpa Curley and her times in Roanoke. I remember going on a cruise with her. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, usually took an annual cruise to the Caribbean. It was fun going around the islands with my immediate and extended family. On that cruise, the last cruise she was able to attend, she was 98 years old. As the years went on, she could not move around as easily and she eventually was placed on bed rest in her home at Chesapeake. Her mind was still as sharp as ever, and she continued to talk with us.

I remember her 100th birthday party. On Saturday, January 19th, 2013, our extended family, the descendants of my great-grandparents gathered to celebrate her life. Two things especially stick in my memory from that day. The first was the steak that I ate which was very good. The second and more important memory, was just how many people were there…more than 100. At that time, my great grandmother was survived by 5 sons, 3 daughters, 1 sister, 31 grandchildren. 59 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren. A majority of her descendants and their families were in that room together, sharing dinner, and celebrating 100 years of life. It was beautiful. 5 generations of family all together. I was reminded of when God told Abraham in Genesis 26:4 that, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands…” Generation to generation, our family grew all stemming from one union. After the dinner, we returned to my aunt’s home, placing all my Great Grandma’s many gifts and decorations in the house. Before we left, my family made me do a belly roll for her. It’s a little trick with my stomach that I’ve always been able to do. The look on her face of confusion and amusement was priceless. We all laughed. That was a good day.

I do not remember when my mother received the call about my great grandmother’s passing. I do remember the shock of hearing the news. This was the first time I could remember that a close member of the family had died. She couldn’t have died, could she? I had just seen her at her birthday party a few weeks ago. The weekend of the funeral is a bit of a blur to me, partially because it was busy and partially because I tried to forget it. I tried to convince myself that forgetting something will change it, but of course, that is not the case. We traveled down to Roanoke for the service. I saw the house that she lived in with her family. I saw her lying in her coffin at the funeral. Family members and friends at the service remembered and honored her life. I listened to all the people she had impacted. It was inspiring but also very somber. We returned to the hotel after her service; I laid awake at night thinking about the day. And I began to cry pretty hard. I am not sure what specific thought prompted it, but I think I realized that we all, someday, will die. Not that I was naive, but I had never felt death hit so close to home until this day. I was sad that my great grandmother was gone, and I felt afraid. I did not fear my own death, but I feared the day that my family members would pass away. I feared their permanent absence. I cried in the middle of the night; my parents woke up to give me the hugs that I needed. We went home the next day.

Death is something with which we all will have to grapple. We are mortal and our time is not promised on this earth. While we live on this earth, we have to make the most of each day God has given us, because we do not know when it will be our last. Even on our worst days, we must remember that life is a beautiful gift. And when our loved ones pass away, we must continue to honor and remember them. I believe that even though our physical body dies, our spirit will live forever. I take comfort in knowing that I will one day be reunited with Great Grandma Jones, and all the other families members I have loved who have passed on.