'There is love, no matter what': How a mother instilled faith, family and education after tragedy
Virginia Morrison is a Savannah mother and grandmother whose emphasis on faith, family and education has sent her daughters and grandchildren into the world equipped for success in their personal and professional lives.
But it hasn’t always been easy.
In 2004, Dr. Morrison, who graduated from Savannah State College, earned a master’s in Urban Studies from Cambridge College, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Change from Fielding Graduate University, was excited about the upcoming year.
She was retiring after 30 years as a public school kindergarten teacher and teacher mentor. Her middle daughter, 27-year-old Calaundra Hazzard, was graduating from nursing school, her youngest daughter, 24-year-old Cheryl Morrison, was getting married, and her 11-year-old granddaughter, Sydnee Bush, was celebrating a year of remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
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Everything appeared to be falling into place for the family Dr. Morrison had molded, nurtured, and loved so fiercely. Then, life began to unravel.
Calaundra began losing her balance, falling unexpectedly, suffering memory loss that impacted her ability to take nursing exams, having blurred vision, and experiencing the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. In March of 2004, Calaundra was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disabling neurological disease most commonly affecting young adults between the ages of 20 and 50. Despite the diagnosis, Calaundra was able to pass her nursing classes and attend her May 7, 2004, pinning ceremony.
However, over the next year, Calaundra’s marriage deteriorated, and she and her 5-year-old son, Jay, moved in with Dr. Morrison and her husband, Lewis, where she could receive the care she would need as MS progressed. It caused tremors, balance issues, and weakness. Calaundra eventually needed help with her personal care and was confined to a wheelchair.
Despite her illness, Calaundra was determined to be involved in Jay’s school life. She was always in attendance at Jay’s conferences and special events at Bartow Elementary and Oglethorpe Charter Middle schools. Even though Oglethorpe’s location in an aging building made getting around difficult in a wheelchair, Calaundra always came to parent events, with Dr. Morrison making sure the wheelchair could make it up the ramps to the portables and over the thresholds to the classrooms.
Eight years after her original diagnosis, the week of Jay’s 8th-grade graduation from Oglethorpe, Calaundra suffered an episode at home the morning of June 2, 2012, and stopped breathing shortly afterwards. She was 35.
Picking up the pieces through faith, family and education
Five days later, James chose to attend his 8th-grade graduation, receiving a standing ovation from the faculty, student body, and guests for his wish to participate in the ceremony. Jay continued to live with his grandparents through his years at Jenkins High School (School of Engineering), and Georgia Institute of Technology.
Instead of falling apart, the family continued to thrive, in large part due to the steady leadership of Dr. Morrison and her husband.
At the top of the list of family priorities was faith.
Eldest daughter Kimberley Bush, 51, a registered nurse who lives in Pooler with her husband, Jack, says her mother said it simply: “Always keep God first in my life.”
Dr. Morrison’s youngest daughter, Cheryl Merriweather, 41, a master cake artist and owner of Unforgettables in Atlanta says her mother’s lesson was “Jesus is love. I will strive to live life by the teachings of Jesus and the Bible.”
Next on the priority list was family.
“Family is everything!” says daughter Cheryl. “She would make sure that we were at as many family reunions and functions that she could take us to growing up. She also made sure to teach us our family history so that we can pass that knowledge on to future generations.”
In addition to faith and family, education was a cornerstone of the Morrison household.
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“My mother was an educator for 30-plus years,” says daughter Kimberley Bush. “She has taught so many children and had and continues to have an impact on so many lives that it is awe-inspiring to me. But the act of teaching, nurturing, inspiring and motivating individuals has been who she is for all of her life.
"Our education was always very important in my household. We were expected to make good grades, be on our best behavior, and get involved in extracurricular activities. Those expectations became the standard for me as a parent as well.”
Since Calaundra’s death, all four of Dr. Morrison’s grandchildren have graduated from college and begun careers. Krystalin Bush, 33, graduated from Shaw University, lives in Dallas, and is a self-employed digital content manager. Sydnee Bush Thompson, 30, is a graduate of the University of Georgia and lives with her husband Antonio, who she met in middle school at Oglethorpe Charter School, in Dallas. She is CEO of Digital319. Jack Bush III, 25, graduated from the University of Georgia and is an engineer in Atlanta. Jay Hazzard, Calaundra’s son, is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology, is 23 and lives in Atlanta, where he works as a software developer for an asset manager.
“I come from a long list of educators in my family,” explains Dr. Morrison. “Education meant everything. It was one way you could prosper, and it’s a way that you can move into something different if you need to. Life is not complete, to me, if you don’t have an education as far as you can go.”
But there were other big lessons to be learned in the Morrison household, too, like how to treat and serve others.
Serving like 'Granny' would want
“Granny never meets a stranger. She will do whatever she can to help those in need, even if it means giving up her last,” granddaughter Krystalin says.
Daughter Cheryl Merriweather adds: “Everywhere we go, she somehow knows someone in the building - she taught them in school, knows their parents, went to college with them, goes to church with them, etc. This shows that she has been a part of so many lives.”
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Jay adds, “My Granny taught me that one of the keys to life is connection, connecting with the people you meet on your journey. She has taught me to not only treat people how I want to be treated, but to always treat people better than I want to be treated.”
“Granny taught me that there’s no stranger that you can’t get to know and make an impact in their lives over a meal,” agrees Jack III. “Her compassion and care for the betterment of everyone she meets is something that I think about often.”
Her parenting influenced the way her daughters parented their own children.
“My mother (Calaundra Hazzard), taught me to be resilient and tough; to realize that life will give you lemons, but you always have the ability to turn them into lemonade,” Jay says.
“My mother (Kimberley Bush) has been the cornerstone of my support system since the day I was born,” says Jack Bush III. “The way she placed an importance on family togetherness, kindness, and authenticity has molded me into the person I am today. I love you, momma!”
“My mom taught me to go after what I want and do what makes me happy. She is always there to support and encourage me,” says Krystalin Bush. “Even on my worst days she always finds something to say to put a smile on my face. This is a trait that I know she got from her mom. She also instilled in us the importance of family. At the end of the day, we’re all we’ve got.”
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Adds Sydnee Bush Thompson: “Ever since I can remember, my mom influenced me to go after what I desired and to always speak up for myself. She was not necessarily the mom to sit and lecture you but through her actions and teaching moments, she instilled a strong sense of independence and ambition in me as a young girl and still to this day as a woman, wife, and mommy-to-be.”
Living life with purpose, treating others with kindness, and helping those in needs are what Dr. Morrison’s daughters remember from their growing up years.
Says Kimberley: “Regardless of what happened today, if God blesses you with tomorrow, you get up, get going, be thankful, and make that day a great day. We all have a purpose, and if you are fortunate enough to know your purpose and live in your purpose, you are truly blessed. And not that she has ever told me this, but through watching her, I’ve learned that it is always better to be respected than liked. If you are respected, liking you comes easily.”
Dr. Morrison admits that she wasn’t a sugary sweet parent.
“I enjoyed having fun with my children. But I was stern. I meant what I said. I encouraged them to their best, and to do all the things you could afford. I didn’t want them to be fearful. Risks are sometimes necessary. But there is love, no matter what.”
Note: To keep Calaundra’s memory alive, Dr. Morrison published a book in 2020 for others suffering with MS – “A Struggle with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) & Bipolar Disorder – My Daughter’s Story.” Calaundra’s family and friends also continue a tradition Calaundra started in 2008 of “walking” in the MS Walk, which was April 2 this year. The family and friends team (P.R.Y.M.E.2/MBHM, Inc.) ranked first by raising over $18,000.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah GA mom kept family together after losing daughter to MS
