Ah hope all yuh doh mine if ah take time an’ big up somebody. On October 23rd, a special lady havin’ a birday, she go be 93!!. When yuh see it have people who yuh know doh have a bad bone in dey body; somebody who have one chicken leg on dey plate and han’ it to you. Somebody who always welcome you in dey house; somebody who would do for you and doh akse for tanks, yuh have a right to big dem up. Dis week ah want to praise Pappa Gawd for giving me a granmudda like de one ah have. Janet Hamilton is a lady, a troo troo lady who show me some tings in life dat all now so have mih head high an’ mih back straight even after ah bounce up some people who look to mash mih up.

All yuh know we West Indians have granmuddas like no body else ent? We grannies have a way dey does cook and de food so sweet yuh cah put dong yuh spoon. When dey make a mauby de angels tired mistake it for ambrosia. When you see Ma make a rum cake fuh Christmas, yuh might as well loosen yuh belt and tell Weight Watchers tuh give yuh a fat chance.

I remember home, Ma would get up early in de morning and move around. By de time we get up breakfast was ready, she dousing we in de bart pan and den pullin’ out we knots wid a lil bit’a grease to smood down de fine hair in front. Den she put in two pony comb and make we presentable fuh school. We din have much but she used to keep we clean. We school blouse was so white it would hurt yuh eye in de hot sun becaw she uses to put a little blue in de water. We skirt was press, boy! Yuh cudda peel a orange on de pleat! She din have no big set’a education but she make sure we do we homework before any skylarking went on. Sunday she had we dress press and is so we marchin’ down to church by Rosary, mih white patent ledda shoe gleaming.

Ah used to push up mih mout becaw she wouldn’t let we run about in de road. If somebody want to talk to we dey had to come in de yard and she not moving until dey leave. She wasn’t slack wid she granchirren at all boy. On we birday she would get de ice cream maker and we would churn it an’ make soursop ice cream an’ she would make a sponge cake and rent some chairs fuh people to sit. We din get million gift but we used to get all we family in de yard. An’ yuh goin’ from one to de nex’ fuh dem to see how big yuh get.

Janet de Great, dat is we nickname fuh we granny. Plenty people know my granmudda. Before de legs start givin’ she a little trouble she was a staunch member of Our Lady of Good Counsel on College Street. Every Sunday, bright and early she taking de subway and goin’. She purse always pack up wid sweetie fuh de chirren in church and on Wednesdays she was in de soup kitchen bringin’ sweet bread an’ helpin’ out. Akse anybody.

Me an’ she would get away now and den becaw yuh know me, Miss Chatterbox, since I was small I had a plaster for every cut. But dat lady bear wid me and raise mih an’ give mih mudda a good ease until we was older.

Ma girl, Happy Birday! Is too bad it only have one like you an’ ah glad is in your han’ I raise. Ah take plenty page from your book. Ah watch you good an’ see you never went out in de road looking anyhow. I never hear you use no cuss word. Ah always see you walk tall an’ respectable. Is your voice ah does hear when I writing all mih commess here in SHARE. Is all dem sweet phrases and jokey tings you does tell us ah remember. You have a quality yuh doh see nowadays. Yuh teach me dat worldy goods doh make yuh a somebody. You have a clean heart an’ a strong will. Dat combination is what hole’in mih up and ah looking to teach dat to your great grandson.

From your two granddaughters, Sharon and me, from your daughter Esther, and all the family and friends and strangers you have touched, thank you for being who you are. You are a humble person who stands head and shoulders above all others.