By Dawn Burleigh

 

This week has provided many notifications for birthdays each time I open Facebook.

Ginger Broomes and Mayor of Orange Larry Spears Jr. celebrated birthdays on Sunday.

Pam Honeycutt will celebrate one on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Kay Sattler and Grace Smith celebrated.

Pidge Childress celebrated her birthday as we all celebrated our country’s Declaration of Independence.

Stormi Wright celebrated hers on July 3.

I am sure there are many more celebrating this month. While a quick Google search claims September is the most popular month to have a birthday, specifically September 9 as the most likely day to have a birthday, I tend to believe it may be July for South East Texas.

Of those many mentioned earlier, Grace Smith is also celebrating a milestone birthday this year. Grace, a woman who is always smiling, has turned 90.

Grace, who enjoys attending JOY Club with her church once a month, runs circles around most of the younger generation. JOY stands for Just Older Youth.

“I don’t let this get in my way,” Grace has said many times about her walker.

And she does not.

Ms. Grace, as she is known at her church, is an asset to our community and an inspiration to others. She will check on those who are ill and their caregivers as well.

She is the first to notice when someone is absent and will ask about them.

Ms. Grace, there are few individuals such as you. I count myself fortunate to know you. I hope your birthday was as beautiful as your smile.

Thank you for being someone others look up to and hope to be more like one day.

 

Dawn Burleigh is editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com