The Little House That Clem Built
The Little House That Clem Built
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It's been a lifetime ago, but I can still recall Mama Bessie's front porch swing--my feet swinging just enough to touch the top of her old dog's head.
Growing up around the world, I was surrounded by many cultures—but my Mom's sweet tea and cornbread always ensured I was never far from my southern roots.
Recently Mom sent me a painting of my great grandmother's home. It was painted by a great aunt who lived across the street from her.
Born in the year 1900, Mama Bessie had the extraordinary ability to conquer anything that life handed to her with grace and humor.
She lived through two world wars, the Spanish Flu, and the Great Depression all while watching one invention after another come to pass. During that time, she lost an 18 year old son and her husband, Clem, to the flu. Yet, when asked at the age of 102 how she was feeling, she'd always respond with humor,
"Honey, I'm feelin' with my fingers."
Most of my memories of Mama Bessie are of summer visits. Having lived in the south her entire life, she never had air conditioning or even a ceiling fan but always got a giggle out of how hot we thought it was. Perhaps it was her way of keeping our visits short!
Left widowed with two young children to raise, life was certainly tough, but her resilience came through time and again. One of my favorite stories was how she raised and sold turkeys.
"I raised turkeys for two years. When they were full grown, I'd weigh them and tie their feet together and lay them in the back of the car under the hood. Then I'd drive on over to Tuscaloosa, and pull up into the Woolworth's parking lot.
One day, I walked up to a lady that was well dressed and said, "Lady, have you got your Christmas turkey yet?"
Well, she hadn't and I said, "Well, I've got some nice one's out in the car, you might like to have one of them."
The lady and her Mama came over to see them, and both said they were real nice. I reckon I sold two that day. I saved that money, and I had plenty of places to use it."
With so much personality, it's no surprise Mama Bessie's legacy made it into the pages of my current novel. Copper is one lucky girl to have such a wise and funny grandma! And while both Mama Bessie and the house are long gone, I can think of only a few things that give me such a warm, comfortable feeling as this strong, independent woman and her little house that Clem built.
At one point in the novel, Mama Bessie tells Copper,
"There's beauty everywhere, it's having patience enough to find it there's a shortage of."
While the real Mama Bessie may not have said those words, she did carve out a beautiful life for herself on a tiny piece of land passed down through the generations. And despite all of her struggles, she always, always found the beauty in it.
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