Roots and Wings:

Life Principles of a Centenarian

The same day that I found out that I passed my school superintendent’s exam, my beloved grandmother entered eternal rest. My grandmother, Denolis V. Moore, was my person. She was my first friend, the person I most wanted to emulate, my second biggest cheerleader, and the most prolific figure in my life. Because of Covid-19, I had not seen my grandmother in an entire year. Even though she suffered from dementia, her death still caught me off guard. As the eldest grandchild, I felt a responsibility to help my mother and uncles with preparations for my grandmother’s funeral. They needed assistance with the obituary program, so I volunteered to design it; it was the least I could do. Though summarizing a person’s entire life can be an issue of great complexity, working with my mother and uncles to tell my grandmother’s story served as a culminating event for me.

My grandmother was an avid reader. While reading, she wrote thoughts or quotes that resonated with her in a black book. Although we knew she wrote down her thoughts, audibly hearing what she wrote gave us a deeper understanding of her character. As my mother read the black book’s content, I immediately felt comforted by my grandmother’s presence. The quotes and thoughts my mother read reflected the sagacious ideas and theology I witnessed my grandmother model through her actions…