Well done, thou good and faithful servant

As the nation acknowledged the passing of Ted Kennedy at 77, the Wilson family of Mississippi was pausing to mourn the loss of its matriarch at the age of 78 last week. Unlike the late Senator, there's not much doubt about where Roena Wilson will be spending eternity. Her case is a lot more cut and dry.

Roena, or MawMaw as I came to know her over the past five-and-a-half years, was a truly remarkable person who truly deserved the praise lavished on Kennedy. She raised five children and played a large role in the upbringing of a large number of grandchildren. She worked hard all day, then took care of her husband and family. She had the rough duty of taking care of several family members, and then her husband, as they declined slowly and passed away.

Sadly, by the time I got to know her, Mrs. Wilson was already in her own mortal decline. Parkison's Disease, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a slow, brutal and painful killer. A couple of days before she died, she endured a 38-minute seizure. That's rough on anyone, but try being 78 years old, five-foot nothing and maybe 100 pounds.

She never complained. She dealt with her illness with grace and dignity, not to mention a resolve that was truly amazing to behold.

Good wishes sometimes aren't enough, otherwise she'd be healthy and still with us. My relations with my grandparents have varied from strained to non-existent, and three of the four are now gone. As a result, I wasn't prepared for the outpouring of love and emotion from generations of Wilsons who came back home to tell their Momma and MawMaw goodbye one last time.

But they're all quite convinced she's in a lot better place. And they should be, because if such a place exists, she's there.

Unfortunately, CNN or Fox or whoever was busy praising Ted Kennedy and missed a shining example of a great American life. I know this is a lousy substitute, but hopefully it's just a start.

Rest well, MawMaw. Hopefully, we'll see you later.