Homegoing

Sixty years ago, although I did not realize it at the time,  a blessing named Annie Mae Settles came into my life.  I can remember standing on the front porch of our home while my Moma interviewed a young Black woman about a job as housekeeper.  She got the job and, through the years, became much more than an employee, she became a member of our family.

Annie Mae's obvious talent was in the kitchen.  She could cook like no one else.  It probably wasn't the healthiest diet around but man was it good.  Even to this day, when my wife, Muriel, uses her macaroni recipe, my boys will say that it is good, but it doesn't taste quite like Annie Mae's.  As I think back on it, she did not have to do this;  she could have just gone through the motions in cooking our meals, but she always seemed to put maximum effort into her craft.  I think it stemmed from a pride in her craft and desire to give us her best.

Throughout my school years, Annie Mae was often my counselor, offering good Godly wisdom on a variety of issues.  In what was probably unfair to her, I would use her as a sounding board to take the temperature of my parents when I had been involved in something that I would have been better off leaving alone.  She was even there offering advice on my love life when my long time girlfriend dumped me for another guy.  She  prevented a lot of heartache in my life.

How a Black woman could invest so much of herself in a White family might be a mystery to some, but it speaks volumes about her character.   She was a true disciple of Jesus Christ, living out a life of humility,  love and servant hood.  My Dad was a product of his generation, growing up in the segregated South with all of its prejudices, but Annie Mae conquered that.  My Dad,  whom she called "Mr. Abby", came to love her as a member of the family and would have done anything for her.  There is a life lesson here for all of us.

She and my Mom became best friends.  There were several times over the years when various families in McCormick tried to hire her away with the lure of more money, but Annie Mae refused to leave.  In the latter years Moma was in bad health and her rheumatism made her extremely irritable.   I was stationed in Texas and my sister, Bobbie, was living in Columbia.  Annie Mae became the primary care giver until her own health prevented her from doing so.  I am sure she put up with a lot and most would have left.    She stuck it out because of love for my Mom and for that I will be forever grateful.

Annie Mae passed away June 23, 2011.  She was one of my heroes.  A woman who worked three jobs to support her family, yet never asked anything for herself.  I hesitate to call her a "Christian", because that term has been so watered down lately and really doesn't do her justice.  She was a Christ follower, who took seriously the challenge of living a life that reflected Christ.   I loved her like my own mother, will miss her dearly, and am deeply grieved at her passing, yet I take great joy in knowing that she stepped into the waiting arms of her Master and that I will see her again someday.