#24daysto40 This was my 1st trip going to Disney World. That’s me in the stroller. The lady standing behind me is my great-grandmother. Everyone calls her Mother Bennette. She was born and raised in South Carolina. There are family records that states she’s 101 years old. In the local south Florida faith community she’s pretty well known. From Attorney George Allen to every pastor in the city. If you’ve ever been to the Mc Donald’s on Broward Blvd. & 31st Ave. in the morning, she’s a celebrity there. She’s the only person I know where the cashiers at Mc Donald’s brings her food to her and serve her. She had the newspaper guy come from the corner and bring her the paper. They even used to get her car washed in the parking lot at Mc Donald’s. I swear she owns stock in those stores, but the owner, owner’s son and every manager & employee knows her by name. The older gentlemen came just to be with her and joke with her. She had her own spot where she sat there. She still has that spot in the new location. They treat her like royalty there. I learned from that. Mother Bennette loves to talk trash, gossip & make fun of people, but she taught me a lot and truly loved her great-grandson. She taught me how to write a check and count money (yes I still write checks on occasion). She put me in pre-school because I used to run her ragged going up & down the stairs in her home. One time she thought I was so skinny and thought my mom wasn’t feeding me. She decided she would cook dinner for me. When she found out how much I actually ate, that lasted a week lol. She’s been through a lot, but she’s still living and just as sharp as ever. Every time she sees me, she asks have I gone “fishing” (dating or searching for a wife). She jokes that I have pretty skin and hands so I don’t work lol. Yet, she’s always trying to give me a little change like she used to when I was a little boy, tells me she loves me, and let’s everyone know I’m her “great grand”. I’m blessed to still have my great-grandma around. . . #40daysuntil40 #countdownto40 #anthony #lilanthony #james #bing #soulcooljay #JB #beanie (at Orlando, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpBVVbmjwxA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1iol8ctykgbw7

#30daysto40 Christmas is my favorite holiday. As a Christian, celebrating the birth of Christ Jesus of Nazareth was extremely important to my family. As an only child, my church was a family church. I was literally related in some way to at least 1/2 of the church. So this was the holiday I got to see and hang with all of my family. There was a Christmas agenda every year. My Aunt and cousins would spend Christmas break at our house. We’d get up and go to “sunrise service” at the and celebrate the birth of Jesus. There we could also exchange gifts with family. It was a way to see family w/out making a lot of stops. Then we’d head home, open gifts & play with them immediately (it’s 80 degrees by 9am Christmas morning in south Florida). Then my granddaddy would stop by, I would go see my great-grandma, and at the end of the day I’d end up here at Mother Francis’ house. All of her family would come over and end Christmas Day there. We’d play games, eat the best home cooking ever, sing songs and just enjoy life. Mother Francis’ was home base for the family and the church. The best times in my young life happened there. So here’s me, probably pointing to the stocking with my name on it, smiling hard. I’ll talk more about the incredible woman Mother Francis was later... And yes, my mom had me smelling good and I was wearing that heavy coat in 65 degree weather. That’s freezing in south Florida. . . #40daysuntil40 #countdownto40 #lilanthony #anthony #JB #beanie #bing #james #soulcooljay #bingbing #lauderhill (at Lauderhill, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/Box9BA5j-ly/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1uwxseffrejmd