Mile #25: Ronald and Linda Akins "Memaw's Mile"

Mile #25 Memaw's Mile:

This special mile was named in honor of my grandmother.  Her real name was Juanita Melder Akins, but to all of her grandkids she was known as Memaw.  Memaw was a breast cancer survivor years before she was ever diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  She's a big reason why I always try to find a way in my racing schedule to race and raise money for both breast and ovarian cancer.  They both, obviously, hit home.

Memaw passed away only about 6 months after my mom did from ovarian cancer.  It was very hard for me, but I can't imagine what my Aunts and Uncle had to deal with in losing both family members so close to one another.  They were still all so graceful and amazing through it all though.

I must say though, Memaw would probably be a little embarassed at me spending even a paragraph on the fact that she faced cancer so many times.  So I'll leave you with a little of what I remember and know about her.

She was very proper, to say the least.  As a child, I didn't understand much of this, but the stories I hear and understand better as an adult would speak volumes to her etiquette and southern grace.  She used to tell me a story when I was little about how her grandmother once told her that if she sat through an entire church service with her legs crossed (as a lady should) then her grandmother promised to make her a new pink dress.  Memaw got that dress!

She adored her grandchildren!  She had a special way of making me feel like I was the most important person in the room each time she spoke to me.  She loved to paint my nails, play with my hair, sit on her back porch and watch the squirrels, play skip-bo, and swing on her front porch swing.  Growing up, that front porch swing was always one of my most favorite places to be.  Today, I miss it like crazy - I miss Memaw like crazy too.  We all do!

Here's some pictures of me and Memaw to share:

Mile# 25 is in honor of Memaw's greatest legacy.  Her children (Ronnie, 'Mitzie', Reba, Jill and Jackie), her grandchildren (Emily, John Robert, Lauri, Mark, Sarah, Jared, Jacque, John Wesley, Jennifer, Jessica, Scottie and Madison) ...not necessarily in birth order...and her great-grandchildren (Blake, Colton, Peyton, Carter, Andi, Skylar, Riley and Adalyn)...in birth order - ha! 

Here's the great grandkids:

And here is MOST of the grandkids with the great grandkids:

Thanks for the donation Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Linda.  This is a very, very special mile!