Wynn's Story

This story begins at my grandfather’s funeral on August 6th of 1981.  Everyone gathered in the chapel at the Hartman Funeral home for the service,  my mother along with my aunts & uncle were seated in the area normally used for immediate family.  There was not enough room for everyone, so some of the grandchildren sat in the congregational seating with everyone else.   My brother was the oldest grandchild out of ten , and I was the oldest girl.  I took two of the younger boys (Michael & Wynn) to sit with me.  I put each one of them on either side of me, because they couldn’t sit with their mama, and neither could I;  so I guess it was just as much for my comfort as it was for theirs.  I was 22 at the time, Michael was about 11 or 12, and Wynn was only 10.  Imagine having to say goodbye to your Papaw and not being able to sit with your mama & daddy.  I put my arms around them, and we sat there and cried as the preacher gave the eulogy.   

Both of the boys were taking it pretty hard… through their tears they would say “I want my Papaw”.  When the service was over and we were getting ready to make the precessional to the Bogue Chitto cemetery, for some reason Wynn couldn’t go.  It may have been because they didn’t think he would understand, I’m not sure exactly.  But he REALLY wanted to see where Papaw was, so they took him to the cemetery the next day.   When they made it to the cemetery,  they explained to him about the family plot;  about how everyone in the family would have a place to be buried.  And very matter of factly he asked…where is my place…?

 Oh you don’t have to worry about that right now, you are just a little boy. 

He died the next day (August 8, 1981).  

They buried him at Papaw’s feet.   

Benefits of Being Childless

Benefits of Being Childless

Unlike my last blog, this one is actually about me, and the fact that I have never given birth; but am a mother and grandmother nonetheless.  First off, I want to thank the Lord for my "unanswered prayers".

In my first marriage I wanted chilren, but my husband kept telling me he wasn't ready.  I was 26 years old when we got married, right in the prime of childbearing years; and was ready to have babies; or at least I thought so then.  I didn't put a lot of pressure on him about it, but it did come up from time to time.  Oh sure, I could have quit taking my birth control pills (and not tell him), but something inside said "don't do it".  Didn't feel right about forcing a child on someone who "wasn't ready" for one. By the time I turned 32, he was still "not ready", and it was really disheartening to think I may never have a child.  But a few months later I found out the real reason why...he wanted a divorce. 

It took a long time of mourning the loss of that marriage, but I finally did come to the CLEAR realization that not having children with him was a BLESSING.  We were not going to have to fight over custody, or child support, or who the kids would spend the holidays with.  I don't think my heart could have taken it.

NOW I see it as a blessing, although at the  time you couldn't have convinced me of it.  I did love that man, and had every intention of spending the rest of my life with him, and I knew he would be a great daddy...but he had other ideas.

A lot of  time has passed under the bridge since then and I am SOOOO BLESSED that I just can't CONTAIN it.  At 38 years old I married the SWEETEST man on the earth (not counting my Daddy), who came  to me with two teenagers, a daughter and a son; and now we have three of the sweetest, most gorgeous, most talented grandkids you would ever want to see.  I AM NOT PREJUDICED...JUST STATING A FACT!!!

In my years of singleness I had asked the Lord to send me someone who would love me just half as much as  I had loved my husband, and BOY DID HE DELIVER!!!!!!  ABUNDANTLY!!!!  AND EXCEEDINGLY ABOVE ALL I COULD HAVE IMAGINED!!!!  I am convinced tht there is not another man like my Country Boy (CKB,  Sr.) on the face of this earth.  When we met he instantly thought that I HAD HUNG THE MOON.  Don't laugh, there is nothing wrong with him believing that;}

I LOVE MY HUSBAND AND MY FAMILY, even if I didn't give birth to 'em... THE LORD put them in my life for a reason, AND I AM SO  THANKFUL HE DID!!!

Hence, the title of this story "Benefits of Being Childless" really wasn't a good name for this story (sorta stole it).  The title should have been 'LOOK WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE"!!!!!!!  I AM CHILDLESS NO MORE!!!!!!!!  THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!!!!!

Whistle Britches

Some of you may know what I mean when I say that I am married to "a" character.  Others may look on in amazement.  But my hubby came from a long history of characters, he being one (at least that's how I see him).  He is best described as a country boy.  There is nothing really "amazing" about being a country boy, but to me he redefines the term.  Let's start with a shetland pony named "Whistle Britches".  Now Whistle Britches would show up at the livestock auction QUITE often, and one day Papa G decided to ask the original owner, how come this horse keeps coming back up for auction.  The man told him that the horse was TOO MEAN and nobody would keep him for more than a few days, he had already injured several children. Papa G (a character in his own right) told the man "I'll take him"...with two rambunctious boys he felt like the horse would keep them busy and out of his hair.

Needless to say the boys fell in love with the horse; but Whistle Britches had other ideas.  Keeping up the same antics that would lead him back to the livestock auction may have worked before, but he had never encountered anything like the Butler boys.  His biting and kicking had no affect on these fellas. They would just grab him around the neck and wrestle him to the ground, just like on the WWF (World Wrestling Federation).  None of the other little boys would even attempt to ride him for fear of ending up in the pond.  But not my country boy,  he thought that was FUN!!

One day he rode the horse to ball practice and when he turned his back, Whistle Britches took a big "bite" out of his shoulder blade.  Without missing a lick my country boy turned around and beaned him right between the eyes, grabbed him around the neck, and down to the ground they went (WWF style).  Needless to say, once the dust settled, the whistle had been knocked out of those britches, and my country boy rode off into the sunset singing Happy Trails To You!!   Now That My Friends Is A Character!!