Betty Baisley

 As I write but more importantly LIVE I THANK y’all for letting me sit in the front of the bus and listen to music with y’all when I stilll could hear. Papa used to turn the music up real loud for me too on the way to his customers to make his deliveries. 

For keeping me in Ms, Goldstein’s class knowing I may have needed a different environment. For coming to my first day of Junior High school (albeit afterschool WHO does that?) For pressing my hair SO GOOD the first day of Martin. For telling me that Brooklyn Tech was a memory (I got waitlisted and didn’t want to go to Summer School to get in because I didn’t want to go there and NANA and GRANNY knew it! ) To not beat myself up over it. (Mommy is STILL MAD in Heaven❤️) To standing outside Martin with Aunt Colette and Mommy because the girls didn’t like me but the boys did! 

The most important lesson I learned was to put ME FIRST! NANA you loved us ALL independently and individually. You made sure we had toiletries, pens to do homework, fill out for job applications, apartments or to sign up for REHAB if need be and we ALL ate together! 

But you would go in your room after you cooked us ALL something to EAT. You fed Pop Pop FIRST and made sure he was OK. Then you got your clothes out your walk in closet and went in your bathroom you changed the decor for EVERY week. You got READY and you were OUT. And you didn’t EVER apologize for it. 

Three of the highest compliments you paid me were that I could of been mayor of NY by the time I was Forty when I first started in Politics. It was only because I got tired of the injustices against Women of color. 

You also implored me to write your story. You said tell your STORY. You didn’t want to talk about the BEGINNING I begged you. I’ve talked about it with Senior. You just didn’t. I respect it so much.

The third compliment was that one day someone would write mine. That history would be kind to me. I now say that to others. We miss you Nana but you lived and loved so well that once was enough. 

My Mother the Original Gangsta Gwen who caught bags of MAIL not feelings  was HEARTBROKEN when you passed away. She kept sitting in the car looking out the window saying over and over “Ms. Betty loved my kids…” I’m a make it Nana even if I’m ALL by myself! It all started when it was just you and Aunt Bert. Look at the lives you created and touched.