Nana'isms

Nana is a major part of my life. She is 81 and has lived with me now for two years. She came to me along with her dog, Piper, who is a littermate to my Roo, both Shelties.

She was born in the 20's, lived through the Depression in rural Massachusetts, went to Nursing School and then (even though it is not what women did back then) moved out of her parents house and moved by herself to Ohio where they desperately needed pediatric nurses and nurse instructors. There she met my grandfather a warhero college student and they lived happily ever after. Sort of. He passed away over 20 years ago, and though she was in her early sixties and could have hung it up, she kept going.

She stayed in the same house that had held their marriage and their children all those years. Only she made some changes. She got all new furniture, white carpet (can you imagine!), a water bed and bought bright flowered shirts with bright pink suspenders (well endowed women should never wear suspenders!). She began to travel, visit friends, family and she also continued to care for her parents, still in Massachusetts who lived to be in their late 90's. She continued to "talk" to her husband, her "Daley."

Four years ago, she went to live with her daughter, my mother. That didn't work so well for various reasons. So, (to be fair) against my mother's wishes, Nana and I decided she should come live with me instead. Understand this decision was made in about 24 hours, while I was visiting Mom and Nana and while my mother was "trapped" in a hospital room. I went from swinging 28 year old single, living the high life in Atlanta to being a single mother of an 81 year old (and her dog) and guilty (according to mom) of "seniornapping."

Now, Mom and I are close again and we both agree that this was for the best. I have adjusted as has Nana to the new living situation. My dog has accepted the fact that she has to share her house with her baby brother. My students have learned to listen to stories of Nana. Most importantly I have found a joy unlike any I could have dreamed and never before imagined.

Everybody likes Nana. One day at church, a friend said to me, "She is so cute!" and I laughed and said, "yeah, just like a puppy." Not really, but it is funny to hear people. Nana makes friends with everyone. When she gets her hair done each week, the other beauticians come and sit in the chairs around her and talk to her, listening and laughing with her. The nurses at her doctor's office fight over who gets to do her chart. Even my students, when I bring her to school one or two days out of the year (usually if she has a doctor's appointment in the afternoon and I don't have time to go home to get her first) the kids all stop in the hall to talk to her. Students who never speak to me and I would swear hate me. They know Nana and want to say hi. Then they brag to others about meeting her. What's worse is other teachers on staff do the same thing...

There are Nana'isms in my life.

(Said to her nurse in the doc's office) "My arms are ugly, and they look awful in those spaghetti strap nightgowns that you have to wear for your husband, but my husband died so I don't have to anymore."

(Said to me as I was walking out the door with a date) "Sister, (she calls me sister) be sure and lock the door when you leave. I'd hate for someone to break in and rape me, 'cause I'm all dried up!"

"The dogs have been having a good day, playing and running. Only I don't think Piper knows Roo is his sister."

(Said to a good male friend of mine at dinner) "Have you been to Sandy's house? Oh, you should come back, now that I live there, it doesn't look like that anymore."

(Said to a date as we were on the way out the door) "Don't you worry, if you want to marry my sister, I'm gonna move out. One woman from our family in your house is enough. And she's the prettier of the two of us..." (Oddly enough that was our first and last date...)

(When she couldn't find her glasses that were in her pocket) "Daley, someone has taken my glasses, come read this to me!"

Those are really just the first ones I thought of. There are so many more. People come to my house just to listen to her.

I hope I grow up to be just like her.