My grandmother and role model, was called by God at 13 on her parent's 40 acre farm in Fayetteville, North Carolina. If the Lord permits, she will see 92 years in April (she is now 93). She taught me how to bow my knee to Jesus Christ alone, how to be a traveling missionary, how to work for social, racial, political, and economic justice, while visiting the sick, healing the diseased, visiting the poor, widow, orphan, working the altar, forgiving those who wronged her, preaching fire, and doing it in 6-in heels, winning Senior Citizen olympics, riding a three-wheeler for MILES up until she was in her late 80's, talking crackheads into returning stolen goods, and receiving Miami Herald's first round of Spirit of Excellence Citizenship awards. She was awarded a HURRICANE ANDREW award for turning on fire hydrants to help get clean water quickly to residents with a wrench b/c no one could get into our neighborhood directly after. She helped bring Health Services and Head Start to South FL, and petitioned to get our black community schools rebuilt after Andrew b/c they wanted to leave it as portables. This 100% Cherokee Woman of God is incomparable.
The amazing thing is, I was there these moments. I can remember her influence and involvement in my life at 2 years old, and even now, though she is battling dementia and resides in a nursing home, she still demands my relatives nearby call me and she talks with me. I have her letters she wrote while I was away at college. Those letters are like gold now that she can no longer recollect or recall certain things about her life and childhood. I treasure the history I saw through her life of service. From county meetings, to neighborhood programs, to senior citizen center meetings, to tent revivals, she did not leave me out. If I wanted to go, she took me, and even those times when I just wanted to hang out and do nothing, she still took me along (smile). I met influential city council, forgotten widows, people from all walks of life who respected and still respect my grandmother and the life she lives.
I remember one time a few years back my oldest brother called me. My grandmother had walked out of the house and could not find her way back. One of the people who lived in the neighborhood blocks away found her, realized what had happened and brought her back home. I wish America knew each other like that everywhere. You wouldn't have to worry about the elderly or your children, because everyone would be their neighbor's keeper. She was returned safely home. The man recognized Missionary Ruth Page, no longer as sprite and fiesty, but still a woman of God.
My grandmother is one of many women I admire who has had a profound and lasting impact on my life. She led me to Christ at 13, out in my backyard while making arts and crafts with me. No matter what she was doing in the ministry and community, she volunteered in the local schools, and made it to our school presentations. She stood up for us when it seemed like we would not reach the goals we needed and when society desired to make sure we were a statistic. She was always trying to give to us, show us how to use our own hands, and show us inexpensive ways of getting what we needed. There are so many lessons that I learned from her that this blog can do no justice to. I simply wanted to honor a snippet of my Black History.
Grandma, I love you forever. You taught me how to lead and love without limits or boundaries.
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