Of Days Gone By

By Ingrid Green Adams

INGRID GREEN ADAMS is a motivational speaker, published author and owner of Greens
Consulting Company. Please visit her web site at www.greensconsultingcompany.vpweb.com
for further details

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479761760

Ingrid Green Adams

ABOUT THE AUTHOR INGRID GREEN ADAMS is a published author, motivational speaker, instructor, Teacher and owner of Green’s Consulting Company. She has published several books

Book preview

PART ONE

THE MEMORIES

Thanksgiving Reservations

IN MEMORY OF MY AUNT, THE LATE WILLIETTA B. GILLES

Yes, it’s another Thanksgiving Day and I just woke up to say,

Thank you Lord for giving this day to me as no other could do, no, only thee.

Thank you as I look back over many Thanksgiving days in my past,

Oh such fond memories I have that will always last.

They will last through out all eternity,

As I remember all the love and holiday joy from my Auntie.

That’s right on holidays such as this we always had a reservation

To share at Auntie Willietta’s house we’d go without hesitation.

You see it was what she did and had come to love to do,

And Auntie we truly enjoyed spending all those holidays with you.

Our holiday time with you no it hasn’t come to an end,

You may not be preparing all the food anymore but your place is still where we spend,

Our holiday time just Ivy’s crew and mine, oh yes, it’ll always be,

The same as our country’s eagle soaring through the sky so bold and carefree.

On holidays it’s your place that we gather oh yes it’s true,

You know why we come together the way that we do?

Auntie, it’s all, simply all because of you.

You did it back in the day,

You started where Grandma Gladys left off let me say.

You told us I like having my family over at my house altogether for holiday food and fun,

Told us this was your thing you enjoyed doing for each

and every one,

Of us yes it’s true,

And now on this Thanksgiving Day as I’m away from you

let me tell you that I love you and miss our special time and special food as I’m so far away,

But remember you I always do as my memories will carry me through to see another holiday.

Yes, how could one forget your great stuffing or dressing you

would make on holidays,

Nope, none of us could ever forget that Auntie not on a

month of Sundays,

So you may have passed the cooking over to Ivy now and we truly understand,

But let me set the record straight your house will always be our holiday meeting spot oh yes

that’s it for our clan,

Where we sit and eat and eat and sit to talk and share all

the night through,

As only family, the young, the old, yah only family can do.

As I begin this Thanksgiving Day,

Miles away this year let me say,

My life and many memories will always be treasured

because of you,

On holidays yes Auntie you’ve become a special part of our family’s history, it’s true,

This was your appointed job in our family and we thank God for you,

Let me close by simply saying you’re my Auntie, my mom’s only sister and my godmother at best,

And no one can ever take your place in my heart so now

Auntie you sit back and rest,

And just enjoy this Thanksgiving Day and all the others

coming your way,

‘Cause you paid your dues at holiday time through all of us

back in the day!

Love Always,

Your Niece,

Ingrid

Nov.25, 2010

My Father Removed

Dedicated to my Grandfather, the Late

Alexander Bennett, III

Never grew up with my father although I really did,

‘Cause I grew up living with my grandpa when I was just a kid.

Though we never had much but to me we had the world,

‘Cause I felt oh so loved by that man let me tell you about him girl.

He was so good to me and to others as well,

That’s why everyone in our town missed him when he passed on,

yah I could tell,

Even as a young kid folks really liked him and thought he was

kind you see,

Cause he was always cracking jokes and making the worst things in life seem oh so funny.

He just had this way about handling all the toils and troubles of this here life,

As though he had the answer for all of mankind’s heartaches and strife.

Sometimes I’d sit on our front porch and listen to him sing,

Yes, sing church hymns and other songs cause back then that was the sweetest thing

Back then just listening to him go on and on ‘bout life was

enough for me,

Always made me feel right proud that I was a part of his family tree.

Gawd knows he was big on family and I’m glad he was too,

Told my Mama to come back home after I was born said that’s what she oughta do,

said he wanted his grandchild down here with him said that’s where she suppose to be,

said down here in St. Rose with him on Second St. not up da

country in D.C.

Well St. Rose it was and I’m certainly glad she listened to him ya know,

‘cause in St. Rose I got to grow up and got to know and love

my grandpa so.

You know when you think about it, doesn’t matter if you’re blood related to someone, no not at all,

As long as they make you feel right special and make you stand tall,

As you look for them out in the crowd like on your graduation day,

Doesn’t matter who was there as long as I could hear grandpa say,

Happy to see you and happy to be there well yes oh most definitely,

As I recall the morning of my 8th grade graduation he was

as happy as can be.

Said he’d better make this one felt he wouldn’t be around to see me graduate at 12th grade though,

I told him that was nonsense but somehow that statement made 8th grade graduation more special so,

I was so happy to see him and oh yes I even cried you know,

‘cause he was my father removed who had loved me and

watched me grow.

Didn’t see my dad with me, no never at all,

But this one the father removed made me feel special as I

always stood tall.

He taught me