Larry & Jane
07/31/2023
On our way to our family beach vacation, we stayed the night in Salisbury, North Carolina and had supper with my Uncle Larry and Aunt Jane.
Even though as we always said, "his mama was my mama's mama" (say that slowly and think that one through...), I never really thought of Larry as an uncle since he's only 9 years older than me. He was still a teenager at home when we would go down to stay at Grandma and Grandpa Britt's house, and we all looked up to Larry so much!
Mama was the third oldest of 10 siblings (there were actually 12, but 2 died before Mama was born) and Larry is farther down the line, fourth from the youngest; he was always especially close to Mama, her little brother who was just 6 years old when she got married. While he is proud of his roots and loves the family in which he grew up, in many ways Larry was different than his 3 very outdoorsy brothers. Larry was always dressed neatly and would rather read or help around the house than go hunting. And he always had time to pay attention to us when we visited, which made a big impression on us kids.
Larry's influence on me goes way beyond what he realizes. He is one of the reasons I decided to major in elementary education in college to become a teacher. Larry was the first Britt in the family to go to college and earn a degree (one of his older sisters did later in her life) and the family was so proud of him when he went out into the big world to what was then Appalachian State Teacher's College.
On at least one occasion, Mama and Dad timed their visit to North Carolina to pick up Larry and bring him back to his parents' home. I can remember being so in awe as we drove through the campus, my first time on a college campus. Even though it was very small, I had nothing to compare it to so I was enthralled to think that someday I might also be a college student like the ones we saw walking around on campus.
Mama and Dad made the drive from Indiana with all of us children in tow to attend Larry's college graduation, wearing that cap and gown walking to receive his education degree I was enchanted by the whole experience. Then he started his career as an elementary teacher, planting that seed of desire in my own mind that would later be an influencing factor as I followed in his footsteps a decade later.
When he married Jane, in our eyes it was like a royal wedding! She was (and still is!) gorgeous and the church where they married seemed so elegant and rich compared to what I was used to. She was also an educator, and they were the perfect pair heading for a perfect life! I'm sure neither of them knew (until they read this!) how much I looked up to them and adored them both. Now they are retired and living in the home she grew up in, where I remember going for the rehearsal dinner party the weekend of their wedding.
Even though they lived 600 miles apart, Larry and Jane always stayed close-in-heart to Mama, and therefore us too. Larry had stayed with Mama and Dad for a short time in Indiana while I was a baby. We always saw them on our twice-annual trips to North Carolina. When Mama and Dad celebrated their 50th anniversary in January 2005, Larry drove through a blinding snowstorm to be at their celebration. When their son Alex was playing college baseball on a summer team in Indiana, we met up with them for a game and quick visit. And when Dad passed in June 2015, Larry and Jane made the trek to Indiana for his services. (Sadly, when Mama went to Heaven in December 2020, we were all in the throes of the pandemic, otherwise I'm sure they would have been there for her funeral as well.)
We've stayed in touch as best we can, but when Mama died I felt my North Carolina ties weakening, and I don't want to lose my connection with some of my favorite Britts. Being big college baseball fans, we reconnected via texts and pictures as they followed my nephew Wyatt's amazing Florida Gators college baseball career and had their own cheering fan club there in North Carolina. So summer I pretty much invited myself to come see Larry and Jane, and their hospitality and joy over our visit made us feel so good!
And let me just say that, always the educator, Larry taught me yet another lesson while I was at their home. Apparently all of my 66 years I've been mispronouncing the word "Appalachian." I've always said it with that middle "a" as a long "a" sound (that's what I learned in my Yankee schools!), but he told me it should be pronounced with a short "a." So there. I'll never say that word again without second-thinking it and reminding me of my amazing uncle. :)
These two sweet people definitely are in my Britt favorites group! And they are as fun and joyful as I remembered them!
Love me some Larry and Jane!
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