Three Lovely Ladies: The Making of Louise Ann Moultry

In honor of Mother's Day, I want to pay homage to three of the women that inspired the strong character of Sequoya's grandmother, Louise Ann Moultry. When developing who Louise was, I took attributes of two of my great-grandmothers and one of my grandmothers.

The greatest thing about this trio was that they were best friends. I'm not sure which came first, their friendship or my parents' courtship, but either way, my brother and I were truly blessed.

MBG was the most loyal and hard-driven Christian woman I had ever met. There was nothing that her late husband could have done wrong. She didn't believe in back talk or eating out. When her husband died, she married herself to the church and served faithfully to the day she died. She wasn't a pushover, she was headstrong and independent. Even though she barely topped five feet, she stood tall as a redwood to me. She was my first heroine.

LTW was dependable. She understood her calling, she was humble and giving. You knew if you surprised her, she would have a full meal prepared with at least two homemade desserts, just in case. My dad would almost beeline straight to her house, especially if we arrived in the morning. All he would talk about was his momma's biscuits and preserves (they were the best I ever had, by the way).

RJW was reliable. She was patient, kind, and calm. She wanted to share the small joys of life with you. Her favorite thing to do was to just sit out on the porch and speak to people as they went by. She always welcomed company and never tired of just chatting with her neighbors. She didn't ask for anything, and people always wanted to do for her.

Now that I look at these words, they don't give these ladies any justice. I could go on and on about these women, but I guess you'll have to read my next project to know more about Louise and the three ladies that inspired her character.