I didn’t grow up knowing my grandmother Annie very well—by the time I came along, she already had 24 grandchildren and had just welcomed her first great-grandchild.
She was 61 when I was born, and to be honest, grandkids were popping out faster than she could keep track.
But that didn’t stop her story from making its way to me.

Some legacies come from loud voices and big personalities. Others, like my grandfather Ellis Sweet’s, are built quietly—with calloused hands, a steady heart, and a deep sense of purpose