UNCLE BILLY

Memorial Day 2009 - A Good report*** Moshe the godson An Egyptian, ran away because of a major embarrassment. He was raised by Godly parents, but went off and studied at an uppercrust school - in Egypt ..I do believe it was a war college. He kinda married wrong....so his big sister says, he married a country girl from Midian...but she had a good dad. it's a mixed up story.....well, not really...but a little bit... READ THE REST OF THE STORY IN THE BIBLE BOOK of EXODUS. As a chronicler ....a story teller...has to some how get in both the bitter and the sweet....but a good storyteller must have it coming out with a good taste.....so far I have been getting a good B+ I am really trying for an A this time... A prophet on the other hand....well they stoned the prophets sometimes... But we must all wear our prophet hats.....and HE spoke a parable unto them Saying....... My daughter was born on veterans day I don't fully understand the difference between Memorial day and veterans....I will look it up.. So anyhow...what do I remember? Memorial memory.... Uncle Billy.....Turner Daniels...he is really my dads cousin but growing up we called all the older cousins..we called them aunt and uncle. So you have ...well..not really now that I remember we always said cousin Molly..but somehow we always said Uncle Boyie and Uncle Billy. Uncle Billy was driving a Hillman Minx....really burning rubber... down Orange Street.... by the fire station...he was coming from Pouyatte Street..from Auntie Punce house. We had all just buried Mammy Webb. I don't remember how old I was, couldn't be more than five.... It was the first time I tasted red stripe beer....I hated it !! But some how, I always had an unusal secret admiration for Uncle Billy ....his gold tipped fillings and his half serious laugh....although it was an open secret that his reral favorite Martin child was Grace....I do believe they had a mutual admiration thing going. As I grew older I came to realize the toughness that always came across when I was around uncle Billy....that toughness had something to do with the war....uncle Billy was in the war...it must have been world war two....I'm not really sure. Maybe uncle Billy was a tough kid growing up....or maybe it was the war ...whatever it was he was a tough customer....after that first sip of beer he gave me I couldn't think otherwise. My cousin Howard...Uncle Billy's oldest son seemed to me not to be too much like his dad...don't get me wrong.... he looked a lot like him, had the mannerisms etc..but Howard is not the tough guy...Phillip on the other hand... seemed to me to look more like Sister Dan..his mom..but he was as tough as nails... just like his dad....and grandad...I might add....My Howard Daniels story is the time they had the apple eating contest and he either broke or swallowed his teeth....My Phillip Daniels story however was at the dinner table when he showed us some animal running across the backyard and while we were busy looking he wiped out a portion from my dinner plate. It was in my later teen years that I began to understand the Daniels a little (no pun intended) better. I personally met Uncle Billy's father...Uncle DanDan....I must stop at this point to mention that I was an extremely naive kid...so I did know Uncle Billy's mom was Auntie Zeta (sp) and here I digress (sp)...with a little family trivia....I have five sisters, myself...Grace, Ruth, Faith, Lydia and Bridgette....my dad had five aunts....outstanding women....absolutely outstanding !! again..I do not know the exact birth order but they were Auntie Mercy, Auntie Punce, Auntie Coolie Aunt Zeta...who am I missing...oh sorry...not five aunts my dad..four aunts and his mom made five... sisters... my dad himself of five brothers, Alanzo, Lincoln, Albert, Beto and Sonny... an outstnding crew. As best I can tell mostly from my cousins Sweetie and Bubbles...their mom cousin Molly is Uncle Billy's only sister...I think...Sweetie and Bubbles were telling stories at the family reunion in Atlanta in the summer of 2000....they had some good Aunt Zeta stories...again just so you don't get too confused this is really about Uncle Billy....Aunt Zeta was his mom..remember....(bear with me the kids might be reading this) Sweetie and Bubbles are cousin Molly's daughter and cousin Molly is Uncle Billy's sister....may God help me if I am getting any of this genealogy wrong.....so anyhow Sweetie an Bubbles say that Aunt Zeta was quite a tough cookie herself...of all the sisters they said it "wuz she run tings"....translation: she was zee BOSS. By and large, my impression is that the Daniels are serious people - achievers, high achievers... for instance someting poped up in my email the other day...maybe y'all remember it...the subject line on the email was "travel scrabble"...as I was scrolling through I noticed the name Trevor Little with a whole string of letters after the name...I just want you to know 'dat is MY cousin Bobby...now an accomplished business man in his community....Bobby's mom is Cousin Molly...as I said these Daniels are achievers !!! My hope is that we can celebrate family often and always.....the first ever official family reunion that I can remember attending was in trench town at Aunt Zeta's house. Who set it up?....Uncle Boyie...I tell you these Daniels are achievers..... I do not mean to bypass anyone...but my knowledge is skimpy...for example I have no idea who all my Daniels cousins are, I can't recall meeting Cousin Boyie's children..but I have no doubt they are achievers. Uncle DanDan, Billy's dad, was also in the war...I beleive..world war one..to my knowledge that's it for our family warriors....maybe there are some of the younger ones that I don't know about... so fill in the blanks and let us all say a prayer of thanksgiving this memorial day..... ... this memorial day as most americans remember the wars and the heroes..we find ourselves trying to fit in...and you know my mind had to go to Uncle Billy. My tribute are these skant memories... let them trigger a celebration in your own mind ....a celebration of our rich family heritage. AMEN There's a wideness in God's Mercy Like the wideness of the sea Thre's a kindness in His justice Which is more than liberty There is welcome for the sinner And more graces for the good There is mercy with the saviour There is healing in His blood For the lo0ve of God is broader Than the measure of mans mind And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind If our love were but more simple We should take Him at His word And our lives would be all sunshine In the sweetness of our Lord I don't know if he ever came to know God. So we still pray for salvation If there is anyone who knows please let us all rejoice together.