artist spotlight
An Ode to
Memaw:
Lessons in
Life and Love
from Sadie
Clark
by Barry Altland
“Sadie ‘Memaw” Clark, bottom right, poses with her daughter, Peggy Clark, son-in-law, Eugene Clark, and
granddaughter, Kristy Clark-Altland and her husband, Barry Altland, at the family reunion in July 2014.”
A few months ago, this world lost a special lady. My wife’s grandmother, Sadie Clark of Wilmington, North Carolina, loved and
guided a family for ninety-four years before her passing in early
2015.
Let her life example be the guide for the rest of us. No matter
what we choose to do, as long as our faculties allow us to participate, we owe it to those who love us and ourselves to be an active
player in our life story.
It feels a little weird using her name, Sadie. Most people I know
that knew her just called her Memaw.
Spend Time With Others
I had the blessing of getting to know this amazing woman in
the years I have been part of my wife’s family. She touched many
lives. She imparted much wisdom, less by what she said and
more by the way she led her life. What I learned from her has
left an indelible imprint, lessons that increase in significance as I
progress in years and ponder the meaning of my own life. These
life lessons are worthy of sharing so you may also benefit from
her example.
As Long As You Can, You Should
Memaw was not one to slow down. She led a busy life. She was
active in her church, engaging with others several days a week in
a variety of different activities. She had several of her offspring
nearby, and Memaw’s small home near the shores of the Cape
Fear River was often abuzz with visitors. She could, and gosh
darn it, she did . . . quite a bit.
The one thing that always blew me away about Memaw, given
her age, was her ability to sit on the couch with her legs tucked
under her, slightly out to the side. At age forty-eight, my legs
don’t bend that way all the time. Granted, she sat that way to
conserve body heat since her slight frame was always cold. Still,
she often sat on the couch much the same as a schoolgirl would.
Why? Because she could. So she did.
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Memaw did not drive. She relied on her husband for their time
together, and then adjusted after his passing some years prior.
Fortunately, her church was only a few blocks away from her
home. She had a group of friends who would fight over the privilege of picking up Ms. Sadie for their church events. She had so
many people who loved her.
Memaw also had three generations of family to look out for her,
yet she lived alone up to her final days among us. Just because
she lived by herself did not mean she was alone much. The guest
room was always ready to welcome visitors, and her children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren were never far away.
Life is meant to be lived among the living. Friends and family
enrich our lives and bring meaning to it. Memaw knew this.
Memaw lived this. So should we.
Be Kind
Whenever my wife would chat with Memaw on