To DeeDee and the Family,
We haveall becme familiar with this beautiful love story that began in the first grade in Taylor, Texas and blossomed for well over 70 years. He, in later years, affectionately referred to her as Momma, and she, to him, as Daddy. Right up to the final weeks of his life, Mr. Blue was still looking out for “his girls” as he lovingly referred to them in a conversation with me. He stated that now that I have them in proper professional medical care, I can now focus on me, as he went in for his surgery.
Mr. Blue (Claudie) and Ms. Blue (Sweetie Pie) became the extended family to our family in May of 1983. Although my wife, Desyria, had known them since she was 10 years old, I would not meet them until 1983 when they invited us into their home to live while our house was being built. She and her family (Vernon and Bessie Standard, daughter, Patricia) would meet them in 1963, during their Del Rio, Texas Air Force assignment days and later England and DC. I was reluctant to accept their offer as I didn’t know these people, but soon found out that you did not argue with Sweetie Pie. Not only would they adopt our daughters, as they had my wife, but they would later become their Godparents. By the way, if you look up Godparent in the dictionary, you would probably find their faces as they epitomize what the term meant and so much more. I found this to be so very special as they were there for every milestone and every accomplishment of our children lives along with forever exposing them to new experiences while creating memories that we all cherish to this day. They were so devoted to this responsibility that they would send their proxy, DeeDee to Houston to represent them at Joi's wedding. A few years later, it did not go unnoticed, although, failing in health, that they personally made it a point to attend Kim’s wedding, over a year ago.
When you visited their home, food was always a centerpiece even if it had to be ordered in. Although not intended, you always over stayed and your face would hurt upon leaving as they would have probably had you laughing the whole visit. Although God had granted them financial comfort, I came to love them because they never took themselves so serious as to not enjoy the daily simple joys that He provided in their lives but was always willing to share. They simply loved my wife and especially our children. Although, we were not suppose to know, not only did they support Joi and Kim socially and emotionally but also financially, secretly, while they were in college. Of course, what I found out later was that what they did for our daughters was not so special. Although they only had one child, DeeDee, whom they loved unconditionally, that they, indeed, had indirectly and sometimes, through the course of their lives, directly raised hundreds more. They both knew personally, every child in their immediate and extended families by birth name and nickname and often reached out to assist, support or congratulate them on reaching each major milestone in their lives as well. In addition, they were also there when each child and sometimes adult, would stumble or fall to support, console, empathize or sympathize with words of encouragement. Both of them, believed deeply, first in God and both believed, most importantly in every child being provided an opportunity to achieve. For Ms. Blue, it was academically and in life. For Mr. Blue, it was reaching for the brass ring in your careers as they both lived their lives representing what you could accomplish if you simply applied yourself and not take no for an answer. Ms. Blue made it her mission to personally know each child who came under her care or through her classroom and made it a point to know each of their families as well. The phrase, “Teaching the Whole Child” was one that she totally believed in as she visited children’s homes in DC to personally connect with parents, as some of those parents had earlier been her students. Her aim was to help break the cycle of poverty by personally providing every child an opportunity to achieve and excel, beyond their current condition, in whatever God had in store for them. Her beautiful mind was like a computerized vault where information gathered from life went in, was locked down, but could be unlocked and recalled within minutes, five years later like it was yesterday. Mr. Blue was forever pushing you to aim for the next career level and sometimes, precariously, continued to personally extend his career by living through and enjoying your personal achievements as though they were his own, as he simply wanted the very best for you. He loved fishing and especially barbecueing.
People often wonder how, and if, they will be remembered once they leave this earthy life. I don’t think the Blues needed to worry about this as the world that they leave is now a better place because God allowed them to stop by and make an impact on so many of our lives in such a very positive and personable way. The Blues leave a legacy of caring, loving, supporting, enjoying life to its fullest. They are truly an example of what you can accomplish when you deeply love and embrace, unconditionally, not only each other, but unapologetically, every life that God places in your path as they continually sought the good in everybody and simply tried to exploit it.
To DeeDee, you have every right to be jealous of the love affair that your parents had with other children and if you were, we never saw it. For you now represent a life time of intentional and unintentional teachings of how life should be lived by the example that they displayed in your life daily. We pray for the very best for you and please know that they left you in a good place with friends and family that will always be there for you.
I pray that we all keep them in our memories as we now stand on their great shoulders as we have with our other ancestors who have exhibited unwavering faith in what one can accomplish in this life by keeping God first. If you, personally, wish to continue their legacy, simply live unselfishly, daily, by making a positive impact and difference in the lives of others that He, places in your path.
Submitted by Sam and Desyria Short