Heroes

As you may know, my grandmother passed away recently. She was 83. She died suddenly, and it hit our family a little harder than I expected.

My Nanny June was born in 1923. She was an amazing artist, something that she did not pass down to me, unfortunately. In 1943, she gave birth to a set of twins. My father is one of them. His twin sister, Linda, was born with severe birth defects and has lived a life full of challenges and handicaps.

For 63 years, Nanny June faithfully cared for my Aunt Linda. I never heard her complain. I never heard her curse God. Her love for Aunt Linda was evident with every breath she took.

The Isaacs are a gospel bluegrass group with an amazing story of their own, and they sing a song called Heroes. We played it at Nanny’s service. It is the story of Nanny’s life with my Papa Ed:

Momma combs his hair and Daddy helps him brush his teeth
Day after day for thirty years the same routine
The special needs he lives with make life seem so unfair
But he thanks God every day cause he knows Mom and Dad are there

(chorus)
He’s a hero and she’s a hero
It doesn’t matter that nobody knows their name
They keep on giving to make life worth living
Might go unnoticed but they’re heroes just the same

They tried for many years to have a baby of their own
But God knew a little girl who didn’t have a home
Someone else’s burden was their blessing in disguise
And now she’s got a Mom and Daddy there to hold her when she cries

(chorus)

Every single parent who must carry twice the load
And those who sacrifice to raise a child that’s not their own
They dedicate their time to make a difference in someone else’s life
And in my eyes

(chorus)

They might go unnoticed but they’re heroes just the same.

*emphasis mine

My grandparents did dedicate their lives to take care of an afflicted child. They sacrificed more than I can ever imagine in order to make certain that my Aunt felt loved and cherished. They were our family’s heroes.