You probably already know someone like Collie Mercer. Her laughter can be heard over everyone else in the room, and it continues long after the joke is over. She’ll be wiping tears from her eyes as she quietly repeats the punchline, cackling to herself. You can’t help but love her as you laugh along.

Collie is the person who shows up first, works the hardest, and stays the longest to make sure things are completed. It would surprise her to know that people look to her for direction. She would never think of herself as being in charge; she’s just doing what needs to be done.

Before she was Grandma Smith. Pictured with my aunts, Jane and Deniece, pregnant with my dad.

At church events and community picnics, everyone scrambles to get a portion of whatever Collie brought. Her pies alone would set grown men to fighting for a piece if they didn’t already know that she always brings two.

Yet no one ever fought over Collie herself. She’s a robust woman, standing no less than five foot ten, and she’s as plain as a freshly sawn board. The truth of the matter is that she can outwork most men, putting quite a few to shame. There has never been a task to make her pause and think, “I wonder if I can do that.”

Five minutes in Collie’s presence will reveal her strong faith in God. She lives out her beliefs in front of her family and friends instead of preaching it to them, and even if someone doesn’t adhere to her faith, they know where to turn in a time of need. Prayers, food, clothing, and sometimes tough love are in ready supply when someone taps the fount of Collie’s generosity.

She’s quick to forgive except when it comes to her own mistakes. Like most people, Collie is hardest on herself. When the time comes to ask forgiveness of others, she knows how to humble herself and admit that she messed up.

You would never know that she didn’t finish her education. What she lacks in formal schooling, she makes up for in boundless practical knowledge. Although this limits the boundaries of her world, Collie never shuns the opportunity to learn new things. The only place she feels intimidated is in the presence of her worldly sister-in-law, Prudence.

Neat as a pin would be the phrase used to describe Collie. Her home and stepchildren are also spotless. She won’t tolerate tobacco or alcohol usage in her house and all animals must live in the barn including the family pets.

Collie’s influence in the lives of her stepchildren is significant. She is as firm in her love and devotion toward her family as she is her discipline of them when needed. The role of protector is one she takes quite seriously, especially toward John who never knew his birth mother. At times, she shields him too much. However, one characteristic she will never be accused of is favoritism.

At the end of the day, Collie Mercer is the kind of person you want to have as a friend. She will stand by you through the good and the bad, tell you when you’re wrong, mediate between you and another person until the situation is resolved without any hurt feelings.

For some people who will read this character sketch, Collie Mercer may sound extremely familiar. Without intentionally doing so, I created a character that is strongly based on my beloved grandma, Dorothy Smith.

More than physical appearance, Collie possesses the essence of what made my grandma a great woman. They aren’t a perfect match, but the similarities are comfortingly familiar. Perhaps I subconsciously did so because in the back of my mind, everyone should have had a chance to meet my grandma.

By the time you and Collie Mercer part ways, I guarantee you’ll be friends.