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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

A SMALL TOWN LOOSES, AND WE ARE ALL AFFECTED

When I say, LOUDLY AND PROUDLY, 
I AM FROM GOLDEN MEADOW...
It means something to me,
it means something to all who live there.
It is hard to explain the love of being raised
in a small town if trying to explain it to big town
folks, well there just are no words.
This week, just like when my little town is affected
by good things, it was highly affected by a big thing.
The death of two of our elders, Husband and wife...
PRISCILLA AND MAURICE BOUZIGARD
...and with this tragic death, a car accident,
coming from one of their favorite places,
the Golden Meadow Senior Citizens Center,
I can now explain what a small town means to 
a girl like me, how all our lives are intertwined
over and over and over.
Mr.Maurice has been friends with the both of my parents,
He helped build the home I and all my siblings
were raised in.
I was not born yet, not even thought of,
my oldest sister, Simone was the only one born.
That same sister knows all those stories from
Mr. Maurice and many others from Mrs. Priscilla
because until she retired, she was the manager of 
that very same GM Senior Citizens Center.
As a young girl, they were our church family.
Saw them at church each time we went.
You see our small church,
Our Lady of Prompt Succor is the only church
all in Golden Meadow entered,
we made all our sacraments there
and it is the very same church that 
Mr. Maurice and Mrs. Priscilla were laid to rest.
Our lives did not just cross here, it continued
to cross throughout my life.
When Baby Boy went to Nursery school,
"Granny" aka, Mrs. Priscilla was his cook.
She cooked all the wonderful meals BB still loves.
Cynthia, Ms. Priscilla's daughter worked there
at the time and then owned the little day care
of Golden Meadow. Mrs. Priscilla taught 
these little ones how to eat like a cajun.
NO Peanut butter sandwiches for this gang,
Nope, Roux's and gumbo's, Jambalaya's and
Fricasse's. That is what my baby boy was eating
at his day care... and if there was something to be
fixed or built, there was MR. Maurice.
Many a times I went to pick up Baby boy to see
Granny rocking one of the babies who had just woke 
up from their nap or just wanted their momma.
Then there was the connection of Cynthia, Ms. Priscilla's
daugher, Mr. M's stepchild,
who is best friends with My sis, Rosie.
Since they were young but even more so as they
raised their own children, Darcus and Miki.
Cynthia and her LoJo and girls, Darcus and Nalon,
were at my sis house at every gathering.
Then Cynthia lost her sister, Priscilla's child, Erena
to the dreaded big C.
Because I was nursing on our bayou I got to know her
better as well as her kids, especially Jada.
Was it not enough that they lost Erena,
then Mrs. Priscilla was faced with her own fight of 
the big C... and won!
Ironically, she and Cynthia both faught it and won!
 She and Maurcie, 
inseperable. My mom, when living there and not
yet driving, this wonderful couple, always
made sure she had a ride to whatever was going on
in town. If it was a funeral, that they made all,
if it was for helping for the lenten gumbo's 
you would find my Mom as well as
Priscilla and Maurice.
How I loved helping with the lenten gumbo's 
surrounding myself with this couple as well
as all the other retired couples.
There were always many hugs and kisses
and much pride that I was there. You see, they knew
if the young did not get involved in our little church,
those things like lenten gumbo's and Ladies of LaSaLette
would be history. Mr. Maurice, always stirring a pot of
something at our gumbo luncheons.
A few years ago, we had a fund raiser for another
long time "belonger", Karen Terrebonne.
She had moved from the bayou many many years before,
but just like our town, don't matter how far you go, you 
are for Golden Meadow. Mr. Maurice and Ms. Priscilla
were there, for hugs and hard work.
I can go on and on about just how many ways our lives,
the families of the Bouzigards and the Collins'
are tied but its like that when you from Golden Meadow.
Now, they have been laid to rest, together, in their favorite
place on Earth besides being with their family, our 
little church. I longed to be there, to pay my respects
to all who loved this wonderful couple who taught us
"Youngens" so much....
I could not make it but I thought of them all day.
If you have to find a silver lining around a tragedy,
for Mrs. Priscilla and Mr. Maurice, it is this,
They met their Maker together, they would
have not wanted it any other way.
I am sure had they had their choice, that would
not have been the day they would have chosen to go
to Heaven, but I also know both of them had no doubt
where they were going and that their baby girl, Erena 
and many who went before them, including
their son in law, lojo, my Mommy
would be there. You can bet, as they left that Senior 
Citizens Center, they were full and they were happy.
You can almost believe they may have even been holding
hands as they did often. 
Yes, their death, that of
MAURICE AND PRISCILLA BOUZIGARD
hit our town hard but their job here was done.
We, especially their family will long to see them many times.
Long to see them waiting for kisses as Maurice stirred
and Priscilla laid table clothes down at the center
preparing for  fund raising.
the Golden Meadow Senior Citizens Center
will be just a little bit quieter for a bit.
No Mr. Maurice to build shelves or fix broken things....
yes, our loss but Heaven, and the Big Man,
well, they gained big time,
a double winner.
Again, I say, the fact that they took their journey
to heaven together makes all of us who are suffering
from their loss a tad bit relieved.
Cynthia, Nalon, Darcus, and the whole family,
from the Collins family,
Simone, Veronica, Peter, Rosie, Celena and myself, Lilly
are with you all in these most difficult few months
coming up. 
If it gives you any comfort,
we loved your dear parents/grandparents.
They meant so much to so many, some that you all 
may not have even  known, they were the 
"CREAM OF THE CROP" and
our little town of Golden Meadow has lost another
set of our wonderful elders.
Heaven is happy, here, we mourn.
Love to you all from 
the Collins Clan

2 comments:

  1. Praying for Cynthia and her family!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very honorable writing!! Thanks baby sista, Lilly for your kind words on behalf of our family!!

    ReplyDelete