My Why

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a close relationship with my grandparents. They lived less than five minutes away from us, and we were with them all the time.On weekends, we would head out together looking for garage sales or go shopping at Hammer's (you know you're from the South when you shop at Hammer's). My weekdays were always the same: wake up at 6:00 AM, grab my backpack and head out with Dad to the bus lot my Grandfather owned. My grandfather would always greet me with a hug and kiss and send me on my way with my Dad on his bus route.

Looking back, those were some of the best memories of my life. I close my eyes sometimes and think hard. In that case, I can still remember the little things—the smell of my Papaw's aftershave, watching Mamaw turn up the radio in her Cadillac Deville when Randy Travis's "Forever and Ever Amen," ample holiday parties, family gatherings, and more.

Time does not stop.

One chilly morning in February 2016, I received a call from my grandmother asking if I would take my grandfather to the doctor because it was an emergency. I have never driven so fast in my life. By this point, my grandmother's mobility was limited.

I sprinted through the front door and went straight to my grandfather's chair. The panic on her face said it all. His eyes were separating, his mouth drooping, and he slurred speech and hallucinating. He kept trying to get up and walk around, but I put my hands on his shoulders and gently held him in his chair.

"Papaw! Papaw! Can you hear me? You are having a stroke! Please try and relax for a minute."

The ambulance tried to stabilize him and rushed him to the closest hospital. He survived the stroke. Thirty days later, he was home with his lady, and things were back to normal.

The stroke was just the beginning of my Papaw's downfall. In 2017, we decided to put them both in a nursing home. My mom and I visited them every other day.

While visiting them, I noticed that some seniors rarely got visitors, calls, or interaction with the outside world. It fueled a fire in me. A change had to happen for these people. They couldn't be just forgotten about. It wasn't fair! And that was how my first Christmas event was born for SSCL.

It started with a simple plan and flourished into so much more.