Ding Dong...Ding Dong..Dingdongdingdongdingdong. "KRIIIIIIIIIS you ready? We're leaving in about 20 minutes."
This was my Saturday growing up with my grandma living on the first floor in our two flat family building. Every Saturday, like clock work my granny and I would hop in the car off on another Saturday Morning adventure. The destination could've been just about anywhere. For a women who didn't drive on the e-way, getting up and out early was her trick to visiting multiple stores and being back home before the city really got busy. Our adventures would usually be to a department store, a hardware store, the bank, and (my favorite) a restaurant. Our car rides became a place where questions were welcomed and the stories were as plentiful as the cigarette smoke that filled the air. Our restaurant visits challenged my pallet quite often and the shopping list always came with a story. Shameless scanning down aisles, conversations with strangers and lots of "let's try that".
Those Saturday mornings allowed me to not only spend time with my granny but they also allowed me to see the women behind the role of mom, daughter, grandma, sister and friend. From the numerous D.I.Y. projects where she showed me "if you see it, you can build it". To the daily quiet moments where she wanted to know "how I was doing." It was how she showed her love that will always have a lasting imprint on my heart. Her love was real, truly felt, and now missed.
Our relationship taught me a few core things:
- Presence means more than just being (physically) there.
My granny had a way of making you feel like she had been waiting to talk to you. Every conversation you felt that she was THERE and not just physically. Her questions pulled you in and her responses connected dots. At the end of the conversation you felt that not only was she present but her heart was also right there as well.
- "If you see it, you can build it."
Saturday afternoon watching This Old House sparked my grandma's imagination a lot. She saw something that she wanted to build and in no time we were visiting Handy Andy or Home Depot to buy supplies. Seeing her do this on numerous occasions showed me that my desire was also my green light to make it real. If it was possible for them it was also possible for me.
- "Go alone if you must, and meet people when you get there."
Although my granny had friends, she was no stranger to exploring and traveling alone. She would go to dinner, take trips and frequent side quests all by her self, meeting new people along the way. Seeing her unafraid of solo traveling and hearing stories of all of her adventures made me excited to grow older and go on my own adventures.
So maybe you're a Granny's Girl or Granny's Guy. Or maybe "Granny" isn't even what you call yours (I didn't) .Whether you saw her everyday or only on holidays and birthdays .If she's still physically here with you today or you're carrying her memory with you in your heart. You can understand that her love became a part of who you are and the meaning of these two words together carry something that doesn't need explaining.
To all the "Granny Baby's" out there, this piece is in celebration of the life and soul of the women we've been blessed enough to call Granny.
Rest well lady, this one's for you!
Love, Ya girl
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