Page 60 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2019- Online Magazine
P. 60
HONORING SENIORS
2 2
Senior Senior
Susan Smith
The
Ministry of
Presence
by Emily Johnson
working two jobs at the time. My
father was in a different state working
on the rigs; he would spend a month
away from us before we got a week
with him. However, my incredible
here is a saying about raising Protective Service.) We hit it off parents are for another time. Susan
children, “It takes a village.” immediately. My brothers and I (Tulu) went out of her way to help us
TThat is true in every sense, quickly became attached to her and my mom. Tulu would pick us up
and I have been blessed with amazing personality and have always from school, feed us, and make sure
guidance and support from many claimed her as our “grandmother”. I we were bathed and to bed on time.
individuals. Believe me, there are constantly forget that she is not my This time span when she was taking
many villages that have raised me actual grandmother because she is so care of us and living with us is when
and my complicated self. However, loving to us. She is - and always will I truly knew she was my Tulu, blood
my “grandmother” Susan Smith out- be - our Tulu who is full of energy, or not.
shines many (if not all) of them. She laughter and love. She sticks out from Something that sticks out in my
has a heart as big as the sun, and a everyone in the “village” because she memory is when my mom had gone
personality that is just as bright. selflessly takes care of me and my two into labor with my youngest brother,
brothers day after day, along with her
Susan Smith came into my life when actual grandson. She has stayed up as and Tulu was more excited than just
I was in 4th grade, and I have not late as four in the morning with me about everyone else because she was
been the same since. She and my and my sick brothers to help my mom. getting “her second grandson”. She
mother worked together at Cactus took care of me and my brother at the
Elementary, which was a school When I was in the 5th grade, she same time she took care of my mom.
for all grades, but specifically for moved in with us in order to help In fact, not long after we’d met, I fell
Children’s Hope kids. (Children’s my mother take care of us because down at a roller rink in Lubbock and
Hope is an outreach of Children’s she was attending night school and hurt myself, and she sped over from
60 Lubbock Senior Link
