I remember going to my Grandmother and Papa's house in Mason, Texas~some of the best memories I have of my childhood were made there. They lived out in the country, so my brothers and sisters spent most of our time playing with each other or our cousins. We had some awesome times of capture the flag, tag, baseball, and hide-and-go seek there. We also made some awesome tree houses, went roaming in the pastures, and played in the tank or sprinkler. I remember taking rides in the back of the pickup with my papa, picking bluebonnets and wildflowers, and helping Papa pick and water the vegetable gardens. We ran around in our bare feet and drank water out of the garden hose. It was a race each day to see who could run down the dirt road to the highway and see who could get the mail first.
I remember cooking apple pies and cookies with my Grandmother~having her teach me how to make her wonderful gravy I loved so much, and how to crosstitch. I'm pretty sure that she made some of the best food I've ever tasted. In the evenings we all watched the nightly episode of "Wheel a Fortune" and popped in a "Little House on the Prairie". That probably explains why I'm so good at "Wheel a Fortune", and why I love "Little House on the Prairie" so much. They were the days that we fell into bed that night because we were so stinking tired~but it was a good tired.
My Grandmother and Papa made a huge impact in my life and who I have become today. My grandmother, Hattie Inez Sorrells, when she was 3 years old caught scarlet fever. She survived, but it caused problems with the blood flow in her legs. The blood would flow down her legs, but not back up, causing her legs to swell immensely. Therefore, she spent the rest of her life with this handicap. She could walk most times with her cane, but was never able to run or be active like most people. You would have thought that this would have been a huge hardship on her life~but it wasn't. I believe that her faith in God gave her spiritual strength that her body didn't give her physically. She grew up and became an amazing nurse, married my Papa, and had 5 children~the baby being my mother. My grandmother was one of the most happy and godly women I have ever known.
My papa, Troy Hilton Sorrells, was a godly, hardworking, committed, man. He always had a smile on his face and had an amazing memory. I could sit and listen to him tell poems for hours~he also loved singing hymns and taking us all to church. His favorite hymn was "Victory in Jesus". I believe his greatest delights were his children and grandchildren. One of the hardest things that I and my family had to go through was when my papa got Alzheimer's Disease. It was so hard to watch him not remember where he had put his keys, or the way to go to the grocery store, or how to tie his shoes. However, the hardest part was whenever he didn't remember who I was. That was the worst feeling in the world, when his memory was taken from him. Over time, God showed me that I should be greatful that he was my papa and that I had 18 years of making memories with him. My papa passed away on January 17, 2003 and my grandmother on July 7, 2003. I miss them so much, but I find peace knowing that they are in Heaven together~Papa with his memory back and better than ever, and Grandmother running with Jesus!
Papa and Grandmother~I love and miss you...more than you'll ever know~
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