Hi, My grandmother and I have never been close. She was my adopted father's mother and my mother and she weren't close, so maybe as a result of that, I wasn't close to her either. I wrote to her recently because she told one of my cousins that if I would write to her, that she would give me some information on our family tree. So I wrote to her and I got one of the most beautiful letters back from her that I have ever received from anyone. She told me that she loves me and that she has always felt like my mamaw, and I never ever even knew that. She lives in Middlesboro, Bell County, and is 89 years old and I am so ashamed to say that I have been to Bell County many times in the last few years, but I never stopped to see her, I didn't think that she wanted to see me and I was so wrong. My father died in Feb. of 1985, and I have not seen her since then. I lost my mother in November of 2000, and my maternal grandmother died when my mom was only 3, and my biological father's mother died in 1997, and most of my aunts and uncles are gone too, so I feel so blessed to have this relationship with my grandmother now. I am so sorry that I never made the effort to know her before now. We are writing letters to each other often now and we are growing very close. I want to go to see her when I go to Bell County the next time, I just am not sure when that will be, hopefully soon. When I was 7 years old, my maternal grandfather died and we had to travel from Shelby County, Ohio, to Bell County, Ky. for his funeral. I got sick on the way there and so I stayed with my grandmother because I was too sick to go to the funeral home. I had the old-fashioned measles and I was not getting better, so my grandmother made some sassafras tea for me and it helped me so much. My mom always told me that by giving me that tea, that my grandmother probably saved my life. I don't know if that is really true or not, but I sure wish that I would have been a better granddaughter to my grandmother. She still asks me if I remember her giving me that tea, and I tell her, yes I do. She gave me some information for our tree and I am hoping to learn more from her. Her mind is still very sharp, she can remember things and people really well. I guess that what I am trying to say is, please try to be close to your grandparents and parents too while you still have them, and try to mend fences while you are still here to do it, because once you or they are gone, it is too late. Don't let others influence how you perceive your family. I would never had known how she felt about me if I wouldn't have taken the first step of writing to her. Don't be afraid to make the first move to try to get close to a loved one. I just thank God for this second chance that he has given me to spend getting to know my grandmother, and for the time that he has given to her to get to know me again. God does have a purpose for everything! I hope that this doesn't offend anyone, but I am just so thankful for this chance to be close to my grandmother, and I hope to help someone else be brave enough to make the effort. Thanks, Charlotte Miller

Charlott, I was real touched with your letter. I`m so glad you found your grandma and thing are right between you all. After all this is what is important, in our relationship with each other. Is`nt it? Carol Barker/Hall [email protected] Cumberland,Ky. Harlan Co. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 2:01 AM Subject: [KYBELL] My grandmother, not exactly genealogy > Hi, > > My grandmother and I have never been close. She was my adopted father's > mother and my mother and she weren't close, so maybe as a result of that, I > wasn't close to her either. > > I wrote to her recently because she told one of my cousins that if I would > write to her, that she would give me some information on our family tree. So > I wrote to her and I got one of the most beautiful letters back from her that > I have ever received from anyone. She told me that she loves me and that she > has always felt like my mamaw, and I never ever even knew that. She lives in > Middlesboro, Bell County, and is 89 years old and I am so ashamed to say that > I have been to Bell County many times in the last few years, but I never > stopped to see her, I didn't think that she wanted to see me and I was so > wrong. My father died in Feb. of 1985, and I have not seen her since then. I > lost my mother in November of 2000, and my maternal grandmother died when my > mom was only 3, and my biological father's mother died in 1997, and most of > my aunts and uncles are gone too, so I feel so blessed to have this > relationship with my grandmother now. I am so sorry that I never made the > effort to know her before now. > We are writing letters to each other often now and we are growing very close. > I want to go to see her when I go to Bell County the next time, I just am not > sure when that will be, hopefully soon. > > When I was 7 years old, my maternal grandfather died and we had to travel > from Shelby County, Ohio, to Bell County, Ky. for his funeral. I got sick on > the way there and so I stayed with my grandmother because I was too sick to > go to the funeral home. I had the old-fashioned measles and I was not getting > better, so my grandmother made some sassafras tea for me and it helped me so > much. My mom always told me that by giving me that tea, that my grandmother > probably saved my life. I don't know if that is really true or not, but I > sure wish that I would have been a better granddaughter to my grandmother. > She still asks me if I remember her giving me that tea, and I tell her, yes I > do. She gave me some information for our tree and I am hoping to learn more > from her. > Her mind is still very sharp, she can remember things and people really well. > > I guess that what I am trying to say is, please try to be close to your > grandparents and parents too while you still have them, and try to mend > fences while you are still here to do it, because once you or they are gone, > it is too late. Don't let others influence how you perceive your family. I > would never had known how she felt about me if I wouldn't have taken the > first step of writing to her. Don't be afraid to make the first move to try > to get close to a loved one. > > I just thank God for this second chance that he has given me to spend getting > to know my grandmother, and for the time that he has given to her to get to > know me again. God does have a purpose for everything! > > I hope that this doesn't offend anyone, but I am just so thankful for this > chance to be close to my grandmother, and I hope to help someone else be > brave enough to make the effort. > > Thanks, > Charlotte Miller > > > ==== KYBELL Mailing List ==== > > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > >