My Nana & Loving Memories

One of my many blessings I have in life is my Nana!  I was born in Germany and the ocean didn't keep my Nana and "Gang-Gang" from visiting often.  In my eyes, she was perfect!  This woman showed me more love over a great distance than I had in a life time.  My dad was strict and didn't show emotions and my mom followed suit.



Nana, my brother, Jim, me, Mom and Gang-Gang



When we stayed in England until I was five, Nana spoilt me rotten.  I was the first grandchild and that in Europe is a big thing!  I loved both her and Gang Gang.  I remember walks all over the small town of Barrow-in-Furness.  Me in my pram and both of them fighting over who would push.  She would give me a bottle of tea (1/4 tea rest milk) which explains my addiction to tea :)  My grandparents would watch me during the day while Mom worked in a cigarette factory.  Mom never smoked until much later.  Dad was away stationed in Japan and Italy.

I loved their little apartment.  The coal bin in the back, though it was dirty, was an excellent place to play with the neighborhood kids.  Poor Nana would come out and rush me into a bath to clean up before Mom got home.  She would bathe me and be laughing all the time.  She had the best laugh.  One that you couldn't help but laugh along and feel alot better.

Nana had the best hugs too!  She would rock me and hold me in her rocker in front of the fire.  Sigh, life was good!  Needless to say when we had to move to France, I was devastated! I couldn't believe that Dad would be so cruel to move there.  I couldn't understand why I couldn't stay.  I remember that day.  It was a misty rain hitting the cold cobblestone road in front of Nana's and Gang-Gang's small flat.  The cab came and picked us up.  I cried and cried, Nana cried, Gang-Gang cried.  I remember looking through the back of the car to see them standing there, so still and still crying.  I hated that day!

Time passed and Nana and Gang-Gang wrote volumes of letters, sent tons of care packages, called often and visited as they could.  We visited them when we could.  I also wrote letters and they would quickly answer.  I loved getting letters back especially when they had a picture in them!  Then came the letter when I was in the sixth grade from Gang-Gang.  He told me that I need to call him "Grand-dad" not Gang-Gang.  I was older and it was time.  My heart sunk, he was always Gang-Gang and to call him something that all kids call their grandparents was wrong in my eyes.  However, he insisted and the next letter, I called him "Grand-Dad" though I never stopped calling him his real name in my heart.

In 1994, every time I talked to Nana on the phone (I phoned once a month to England) I would cry after I hung up knowing that Nana now 95 would be going home soon.  So,I visited England with my mom.  When I came through her door, she was sitting at the window, crying and saying I thought I would never see you again, my Dena!  We hugged and I regretted not coming before now.  Nana would play the "pools" so that maybe she would win and she could fly over again to see me.  We had a wonderful time staying in Nana's small apartment and just being with her.  Mom showed me all the sites that Dad and her went.  Where they met and alot of family history--I will try to blog about all that later.  Nana delighted in my company and I in hers.  I have wonderful memories of that visit.

 

Me & Nana 1994

Six months after I visited and a week after her 96th birthday on February 18, 1995, Nana went to sleep and woke up in Heaven where she waits with open arms to hug me and hold me some day--Oh what a Glorious Day that will be!

Today the LORD gave me a gift of memories--those of a loving Nana and the wonderful times and love that she gave freely gave me.  I only pray that I can be just like her in my grandchildrens' heart.  If so, I have honored her.