Well the nice spring like weather has disappeared here in New England, and we are back to winter temperatures and the forecast for the upcoming weekend is highs in the teens. Boo! Our little spring teaser was nice while it lasted.
Although it will be quite chilly, this weekend my family will be celebrating my nana’s 85th birthday!! She will be surrounded by her family all day tomorrow, including her 6 great-grandchildren which is pretty awesome. My son, Brayden, is the oldest of the clan just as I was the “oldest” of all her grand kids. (Well, I still am.) Thinking about my nana, also known as Nani, Tw0-Nani, Tw0-Two, Betts, and Mrs.C., I realize how much she has taught me about family and love. I am well aware how lucky I am to have had her in my life and to STILL have her today. The fact that my six year old son has been able to have a relationship with his Tw0-Nani, is such a gift. She is an amazing woman and my whole life has been a pillar of strength and love. In her life, she has outlived two of her siblings, a child, a grandchild, and her husband, my papa, Bampi.
She and Bampi were huge influences on me as a child, and they truly taught me what true love and marriage looked like. They were high school sweethearts, and were married for over 60 years when he passed in May, 2013. I am well aware how lucky I am to have had her in my life for MY forty-four years, and to STILL have her today.
Just two weeks ago she took all of us grand kids and our spouses/significant others to dinner. There she made a speech about love and family and how important it was for all of us to stay close and to teach our children about our family. She made each of us a DVD. In it, she sits in a chair in her living room and just talks about her life, her relationship with my grandfather, and her memories of all of us. I am so happy that I will have this piece of her always. She has been my rock through so much in my life and I can’t wait to celebrate this huge milestone with her. Happy Birthday Nani, and thank you for all that you have taught me and given me all these years.
A Work in Progress 
This touched my heart…. I’m turning 60 this month and am amazed to say that I still have my grandma in my life. She is 102 years old….I can relate to your slice and feel the exact same way about my “little” grandma.
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What an incredible gift! Love the idea of the DVD. My seventh graders are doing a family history project right now, and one of my reasons was to encourage them to seek out the special older people in their lives and to get a chance to talk to them now while they still can. Your Nana sounds like a treasure.
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Such a beautiful post! I love that she shared a DVD with each of you–I wish I had one of those from each of my grandparents. That is an incredible treasure. Enjoy celebrating with her this weekend! She sounds like an amazing woman!
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I envy you. All but 1 of my grandparents passed before my 1st birthday. We didn’t live near the one who was alive until my first year at college, so I saw her only once or twice a year. I laughed when I read she’d made you all a DVD. My mom is 85 and can hardly put one in any machine to play it. I can;t imagine her knowing how to make one!
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