Thread by @CJLawrenceEsq

My Grandaddy, Jack Sutton was born in 1918 and he lived to be 85 years old passing just a few weeks before my graduation in 2003. He was always in great shape even as an 85 year old and
The family always talked about him being a hard worker. #DescendantChallenge

This Christmas I learned just how hard of a worker he was. My Granddaddy used to wake up each morning at around 4 am so that he could leave the house at 5 am heading to work in Hattiesburg, MS. Hattiesburg is about 30 miles away from Richton, MS. He would often walk to work.

I thought about what that was like for him… on an every day basis and certainly as a Black man in Mississippi in the 1950s and 60s. He would repeat this process 5 days a week. And didn’t have a lot of money in spite of the back breaking hours he put in.

He left school after 8th grade to go work in the fields with his family. Eventually he and Madea made a family of their own.

My Auntie Carolyn tells us a funny story about preparing his lunch for work. Since he would have to be to work so early each one of the 5 girls would take turns preparing his lunch at 4 am. Auntie Carolyn burned the chicken one morning during her rotation.

after that Grandaddy didn’t want her to cook his lunch anymore 🤣. “I don’t want none!” Lol this was a reoccurring theme for some time and we would all jokingly say “I don’t want none.” Sometimes remembering him and his sense of humor.

Grandaddies long walks to work paved the way for his children to become college graduates and his grand children to become Doctors, Attorneys, nurses, accountants, computer scientists, business owners and more. He walked so we could Fly. I am forever grateful to him for that.

To both of my grandparents because Made was holding it down with 8 children while waiting for him to make it home safely each night after those long walks. Today, we honor you, we celebrate you. We Give Flowers. This is my #DescendantChallenge