MaverickVoice.com

In the early hours of May 6, I got a phone call from my mother that my Grandfather, and MaverickVoice.com Contributor, E.C. Page had passed away. I won’t pretend that I didn’t shed my tears…I did…but as I thought about it, I realized that I wasn’t crying for him…I was crying for myself.

You see my Grandfather was a true Patriarch. If you aren’t familiar with that term, there’s the very real possibility that you haven’t had one in your life. (Don’t feel bad: there seem to be very few these days that have.) A Patriarch is not just a Father, or a Grandfather…he is not an Uncle or Brother…he is not someone you admire from afar. No, a Patriarch is much, much more than that.

A Patriarch is an inspiration to those around them. A Patriarch stands up and does the hard work to provide for his family without ever expecting or wanting thanks. He provides what he can, but understands that, as they grow, each of his children and grandchildren must also do the hard work to stand for themselves, too. A Patriarch defends his children and grandchildren from themselves by being the person in their lives that they never want to disappoint. After all, a single glance would sting more than a slap in the face, and an obscure wink shared only between the two of you would mean more as a reward than any sum of money could ever be. A Patriarch is more than just the titular head of the family. No one can lay claim to the title of Patriarch. There can be no campaign for election. They BECOME the Patriarch by BEING the Patriarch through the choices that they make and the example they set.

When the Patriarch passes, the family changes forever, but the mark that they’ve made on the members of that family will show through for generations. I know that his Children have always lived for his approval, and will continue to live their lives in that way. As for my sister, my cousins, and myself I know that his influence has, in many indelible ways, defined our code of conduct and our strong belief in ethics because of the example he set and the pedestal upon which our parents placed him. Their children and grandchildren will also be inspired by what they have seen and by what they will hear throughout their lives through the conduct of their parents…and so on.

My Grandfather’s words can be found in two posts here at MaverickVoice.com.  When I first started posting here, he had sent me a letter that I felt compelled to share called “My Glowing Endorsement.” Then, in February of this year, he shared his thoughts on our current Political and Economic woes in “Common Sense.” I would ask that you go back and read his words today in tribute of his life and gratitude for that influence.

Where some will choose to mourn, I will choose to celebrate, for his legacy lives on.

Filed under: Miscellaneous by T. Edwin Perry