In Remembrance of My Beautiful Nana

   

     My beautiful, classy and loving grandmother, Marianna Groves Naylor passed on May 12, 2015.When my mom asked me to write something down about Nana to be read at her funeral, I hesitated, not because I didn’t want to contribute but because I feared that my words might fall short in their attempt to pay homage to such a remarkable lady. So I decided to do what any self respecting coward would do, steal some wise words from someone else.

     One of my favorite writers and poets is Ralph Waldo Emerson. What a name, huh? That poor kid didn’t stand a chance and no doubt had to learn how to fight by the time he got to middle school. However, the unfortunate Ralph Waldo managed to string together a few lovely little lines about success that I think describe my beautiful Nana quite well.

     Emerson writes: “To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics… To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child or a garden patch… To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

     Nana was the designated worrier in our family, so much so that I use to joke with her that I didn’t have to worry about anything because I knew she already had it covered. I think my Aunt Pam might be assuming the DW (designated worrier) role now. While I found it reassuring that Nana was worrying over the details, I think I loved her best when she laughed. Nana laughed a lot at those family reunions at Myrtle Beach.  What I remember most about them was how much Nana enjoyed them. How happy she was to swim in the ocean and how hard she laughed at her sister Carolyn’s and her brother in law Fred’s animated jokes.

     I remember going to her house as a kid and I was always greeted in the same way. “Oh, Laurie!” Like she was surprised, excited and thrilled all at the same time. Family mattered to Nana and she dropped anything to chat with me on her back porch, make me a sandwich or give me a hug.

     Nana’s selflessness wasn’t reserved just for us. Billy was Nana’s stepson from her second marriage. He was nonverbal and required a great deal of care when he was home during summer visits from school. I remember as a kid, asking Nana how she could take care of Billy as her own. She was wiping his face and feeding him one day when I carelessly asked, “Why do you have to do it Nana? He’s not even yours?” She stopped what she was doing, looked me in the eye and said “Laurie, he was Lois’s son and she is gone, so I have to take care of him. If something had happened to me, I would want someone to take care of my girls. Nana continued to visit Billy until he passed making certain that he had everything that he needed and taking him out regularly for his favorite treat, ice cream.

     I wasn’t surprised when Mom told me that nurses, aids, doctors and staff alike filed in when Nana was close to the end. Even her manicurist came to say goodbye.

     “To leave the world a bit better…”
     “ To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

     So Nana if you manage to find Waldo up there in heaven, tell him that you’ve got this success thing down. The proof lies in all of those loved ones you left behind. We are each a little bit better off just for knowing you.