Mamaw Davis.

30/05/2008

When I first moved to Tennessee (some 17 years ago now - eek), I didn’t know what a Mamaw was. Grandma had always been the common and accepted name in my family. One fine middle school afternoon, someone asked me about my Mamaw. I squirmed uncomfortably and tried to make it seem like I knew what the heck they were talking about. Hee. Eventually, I figured it out. Must be one of the many rites of passage to Southernness.

I first met Bos’ grandmother, Mamaw Davis, nearly ten years ago. Over the years, I didn’t get to hang out with her very often, and when I did, it was usually for short periods of time. Just from those brief visits, though, I feel like I was able to get to know her — at least a little.

She was a remarkable woman. She had faith in her God like the rest of us have eye color, or freckles. It was just part of her. She could talk about Jesus and praying and all that kind of stuff, but it didn’t feel like she was shoving it down your throat. It was just her life view. As a tried-and-true agnostic, I really appreciated her mellow confidence in her religion.

And she had poise. There are pictures of her from her younger days (she was a beauty, too) that capture that very well - maybe someday I’ll scan one and put it up. Again, like her faith, she had a confidence that wasn’t arrogant; a self-assurance that wasn’t about her ego.

She will be buried this morning at 11. I’ll miss her, and I know that Bos will, too.  What a Mamaw she was!

There are 4 comments in this article:

  1. 30/05/2008Joel say:

    When we die, all that is left of us is the memories we created in others. The rituals that surround death are for the living, not the dead. More than the funeral and headstone, the recollection embodied in this post and the model it provides for you is the true monument to this loved one.

  2. 30/05/2008timsan1 say:

    I am very sorry for your loss. Please extend my sympathies to Bos. I am often in awe of folks who simply exist in a state of faith. I know that is worded strangely. I guess what I am trying to say is that to some faith is an add on — but for a few special folks it is embedded in them. I always wonder if they were born that way or if something just clicked.

    She sounds like she was an extraordinary woman. I think the picture not only captures Mamaw Davis but a piece of Bos that I have always admired.

    If you need any help scanning let me know. I can scan negatives and slides too. I would be happy to do it.

    tg

  3. 31/05/2008Bos say:

    Thank you.

  4. 31/05/2008Bos say:

    I do miss her. I miss my grandfathers as well. I feel like my world is somehow both less and greater than it used to be. Less in that I don’t have them to go to anymore and talk with. Their jokes and anger are gone, except for the stray moments when I do something like they would have done. And that is how my life is greater. Their influence is made apparent by their absence. It’s bittersweet.

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