Personal Narrative: Phyllis Dupuy's Life

At times when I grow bored about living in Louisiana, the state’s remarkable culture, food, and geography soothes my adventurous desires to relocate. While a lack of activities to engage in is frequent when living in “the bowl,” going on a boat ride on a beautiful day eliminates my state of idleness. One might infer that water is just water if he sees it all the time because it is always there. When I visualize water, I think of my late grandmother who loved Louisiana’s bodies of water. My deceased grandmother, Phyllis Dupuy, lived in Louisiana all of her life. She loved to cook, eat, and drink as the traditional “New Orleanian” does today. In addition to her three passions, she also found love in smoking cigarettes. My grandma smoked until she developed terminal cancers that led to her demise 3 years ago. After her series of chemotherapy treatments failed at M.D. Anderson in Texas, she decided to return to Louisiana- her home. My maw maw passed away approximately two weeks after her arrival home. A memorial service was held because she had decided to be cremated. In addition to her cremation, her dying wish was to have her ashes released over Delacroix Lake- a lake where her father took her fishing as a child. Her desire was fulfilled. As the wind carried my maw maw’s remains away, it took fragments
Upon boarding the boat, I viewed water as if it were not just water. I found solace in the water, for it is where my grandmother resides. The atmosphere and its cool breeze reassured my soul that all was well. The song, “You Are My Sunshine,” implies, “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.” My maw maw used to sing that song to me at bedtime and at times when I was consumed in melancholy. While I lament that I cannot be her sunshine anymore, Nature has allowed her to be