I was very fortunate to have many wonderful role models as I was growing up, people who still influence me today as I continue to grow up. One of those people was my grandmother, who we have always called Nanny. Nanny has, over the years, taught me so much about life.
Although my grandmother was born in the 30s, she is, in some ways, a bit of a feminist (in the loosest sense of the word). She graduated from high school during the 1950s, which was a time when few women worked outside of the home and even fewer attended school beyond high school. But she went off to nursing school, and worked for the next several decades as a nurse. She rose four kids while working full time. She was a hard worker who took her work seriously. She even went back to school and got her bachelor’s degree in nursing.
I have a lot of respect for Nanny. She has taught me the value of hard work, of standing up for yourself, and that being stubborn is not always a bad thing. She has taught me through example that you don’t need much to be happy and that spending money wisely is important. I have inherited many personality traits from her. I, too, am very stubborn, organized, and stand up for myself. Nanny will be turning 81 (I think!) on Wednesday. I am so thankful to have a grandma who has loved me so unconditionally and who has always welcomed me with open arms. I love her dearly and hope to spend many more years with her!
Note: I found the photo at top in one of my grandparents’ many photo albums this past summer. It is of my grandma (on the left) and mom (right), sitting on the back porch of the house my grandparents still live in. It is one of my very favorite photos. My mom would have been about 6.
The Oke Den 