“I’m done being sick and I’m ready for God to take me home.” This is what my Uncle Mac had said to my mom and me when we left his house in Fort Worth, TX. This man was one that was the most loved by his parents, three other siblings, his family, and friends. He had the kindest of spirits and loved to get dirty.

My uncle Mac DeFord was a devoted Christian; he worked hard on his land filled with chickens, roosters, and guinea hens; he always had a smile that could bring up any spirit. He had a son and wife that lived with him on his ranch. He worked hard at work and at home with no complaints. What a man. He was diagnosed with colon cancer when he was young and through his inspiring mentality and therapy he went into a ten-year remission. Once when I was with my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother we went to his house; on our way there we saw Mac and he took me back to his house on his ATV. WOW! was all I could think. When we got close to his house we ditched the girls and rode around his ranch seeing and hearing all the beautiful deer and birds. He fed his deer everyday and would always clean up his three-hundred and fifty acres of land.

Mac was a kind spirit and did all he could for his family; for his son he taught him how to live; for my aunt, how to be true to herself; and for me, it was how to be myself with no exceptions. He has passed away but the wisdom he passed down to me will never be forgotten.