There is a lot of pressure being the oldest grandchild as well as the only girl. Not only is there pressure, but there's also privileges. After all, I have always been the favorite,....well, ‘favorite grand-daughter’.I take pride in that.
It truly is a blessing to have a family that is as loving and Christ-centered as mine. Nanny has been a rock for me, a prayer warrior, a friend, and the most wonderful Nanny a girl could have. I realize that I must cherish the times that I have spent with her, and when I think about it....it’s all good memories.
I can recall the days of climbing up into her lap in ‘her chair’ and digging through her ‘nest’ with her to find things like “nose medicine”, sewing kits, real paper dolls, the stamp collection she started for me, and more. Washing my mouth out with a bar of soap when I decided to talk-back, then climbing up into her brass four-poster bed to have her to read Mother Goose stories from the red Child’s Craft Encyclopedia to me.
I have learned how precious life is and that, and as someone wise once said, “don’t take life for granted.” The last time that I came in town Nanny seemed to be in great shape and wanted to go out to eat, at Zea’s of course. She was in great spirits, we visited over Thai Pork Ribs and Corn Grits, and lastly indulged in Cheesecake and Coffee for dessert. We went back to her apartment riding in style in 'Lucy', her CR-V. After making ourselves comfortable in the living room, she proceeded to ask me for something that she could pray for me for. And I told her, because she told me that “God answers anything that she prays”, and certainly I wanted my prayer to be answered. My only hope is that she will live to see that prayer answered.
I love my Nanny and I know that she loves me. Rubbing her weak extremities during visiting hours in MICU Room 6, made it so much clearer to me of how much someone really means to you, and it’s so disheartening when you feel like you can’t let them know.
At this point, I am taking each day with a glimpse of hope. Knowing that when the Lord decides to take her to heaven, that she will receive all of the rewards that she deserves (which is a LOT). She will get to see her husband, that she has yearned to be with for the past 28 years, and her sweet feline, Sheba, that she lost within the past couple of years.
May the Lord’s will be done. May He be glorified through the story of her life. May we all be thankful for the example of Christ that she has lived out every day of her life.
