Ms Annie Barnes

You never know when a kernal of kindness will change somebody's life. 

Yesterday we sang at the funeral of the past president of our church choir.  She was very kind & quiet.  Well, at least as far as I could tell.  You never really know what a person is like at home behind closed doors!  (I won't go into My mother here, but believe me she was very different from what others thought.) 

Anyway, Ms Annie Barnes seemed very humble & devout to me.  And in particular, she was so very loving with her grand daughters, you could tell by the way they always ran to her to get warm hugs or sit in her lap.  They seemed to adore her, and she truly adored them. 

Also she was very close to her sister Mildred, whom I also loved.  Mildred has kind & loving eyes always with a twinkle, & a sweet smile.  They were lucky to have each other.

I had for decades gone to the choir practices of my life partner Doris, who is a fabulous gospel singer!  One day Ms Annie invited me to join the Senior Choir.  It was so long ago I don't even remember what year it was.  I couldn't believe it, being tone deaf (basically) & a white woman (not really all that too basically,) it was a real honor.  

It was a thrill, at least for me. I'm not really sure what the rest of the church thought, but they are all very good to me.  For about a decade now I've gotten to sit/stand next to my Doris & sing my lungs out, which is a real high with such a wonderful choir.  Luckily they all drown me out!

Ms Annie sweetly, kindly asked me to join their choir.  She did it from the bottom of her heart.  She changed my life.  I'll always remember her.  God bless Annie Loyce Barnes.