About to celebrate her 95th birthday on July 17, Vivian Carswell Blackmon learned strength and perseverance at an early age, growing up in a small community known as Pea Ridge, in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“I grew up in a loving home with generous neighbors who raised a generation of strong, thankful people,” she reflects.
Vivian always shares she was born on a hot summer day during the Great Depression, when hardship was simply a way of life.
But Vivian’s family also learned from an added struggle: both of her parents, John Esper Carswell and Minnie Fowler Carswell, were severely handicapped. Her father was blind, and her mother endured crippling rheumatoid arthritis, preparing the way for many, many valuable lessons for their eight children — four boys and four girls. All adapted, with the older siblings often caring for the younger ones — in a time of no electricity and no indoor plumbing.
Despite their handicaps, Vivian’s parents were blessed with amazing strength, and the activities and farm work they accomplished together were incredible. What valuable inspiration for their large family, who learned the power of a positive attitude, and the gift of finding the beauty in simple, daily life.
“One luxury we did have was Saturday nights,” recalls Vivian. “We would have popcorn balls, peanut butter crackers, and occasionally Pepsi! We listened to the radio — the Grand Ole Opry — I liked country music before it was cool!”
A Lake Norman resident since 1973, Vivian’s daughter, Kay, tells us her mother enjoyed watching the lake “fill” as it was being constructed. Today, Vivian lives — and still paints and writes poetry — in the waterfront house at Lake Norman that she and her husband built. Her own bustling family — three children, six grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and 10 great, great-grandchildren — grew up with the same life lessons Vivian has carried in her heart for over nine decades: Loving, learning, and always finding that inner strength when you need it most!
Our Talents
We were all given a talent
To use every day
Not to hide under a basket
But to put on display
However small you think it may be
Share it with others and you will see
It may be the one good deed
That helps someone in a time of need
Your talent might be to pray
Or listen to a friend who has had a bad day
To give a hug
Or a special smile
To make someone’s day worthwhile
It may be to bake, paint, or sew
To spread the gospel wherever you go
Or to sing and make music, letting the spirit soar
God doesn’t ask for anything more
Whatever your talent may be
Share it with others to see
Use it wisely and soon you will find
When God made you, He made one of a kind
By Vivian Carswell Blackmon
Today
Today is the day
to help someone
Tomorrow the job
might not get done
Just a friendly “Hello”
Or maybe a smile
Can take a dark day
And make it worthwhile
So, call someone today
And tell them you care
That you’re thinking of them
And saying a prayer
It might be a sister
Or maybe a brother
But today is the day
We need each other
by Vivian Carswell Blackmon
Things I Like About the Lake
The wild geese break
The silence of the dawn
Wakes me up
With a great big yawn!
In time to see the sun come up
It looks like a giant buttercup
To hear the birds sing
From tree to tree
And what a beautiful melody
And butterflies with their wings spread wide
Ziz-zazzing through the sky
To watch the fish
And the bugs they catch
The baby ducklings
So newly hatched
Flowers with their heads held high
Waiting for some bee to come by
To see the birds as they nest and mate
They sit on their nest and patiently wait
To hear the frogs to their mates call
Nature at work, holds me in awe
Fireflies with their beaconing light
Looking for lovers in the night
What a wonderful world this would be
If we could all live in the same harmony
