Oh, so it's one of them funny dates today, 09/09/09 and this posting should by magic reach you at 09:09, just to show you that I've noticed.
It's also, apparently the 10th birthday of Bob the Builder. I'm really quite grateful that my days of having to sit through interminable adventures of Bob, Wendy, Scoop, Dizzy, Lofty and Pilchard are over, but I bear them no ill will. I remember Anna as a toddler going up to her daddy with a broken toy and saying "Daddy fix it." Bob looked woefully at the stricken toy and said that he didn't think it could be fixed. Anna then looked up hopefully and said "Bob the Builder fix it."
What today really means to me, more than anything, however, is that it's the 14th anniversary of my lovely Granny passing away. I was very lucky with my grannies - two of the best ever. I should also emphasise, before I get a phone call reminding me so (as if I need reminding) that I also have a wonderful sister who in turn has 4 fabulous children.
Granny was a real proper highland granny. She was kind, gentle, loving and incredibly strong. She just got on with whatever she had to deal with in life and she had a fair few blows in her almost 94 years. I spent most of my days with her from a very young age and the times I spent with her were the happiest of my childhood. She was full of stories and fun and kindness. I also seem to have inherited my passion for cups of tea. The kettle was always on in her tiny flat and she always insisted that tea should be made in a metal teapot and served in a china cup. She wouldn't have had much time for the Earl Grey that I drink all the time, and she would despair that I made it in a mug with a teabag. I doubt, though, that, unlike some, she would condemn me for putting milk in it.
Actually, she wouldn't condemn anyone for anything - she was forgiving and loyal, no matter what. She was so understanding when I did the running off with divorced man twice my age thing - and she thought Bob was fabulous and always took his side in everything.
I still miss Granny and I wish so much that my daughter could have known her. Anna's lucky though in that she too has a lovely, kind, imaginative highland great auntie - my husband's wonderful Auntie Patsy.
3 comments:
What a wonderful post.
My maternal grandmother died over 11 years ago now and she was the rock of my family.
Your description of your granny as always loyal rings a big bell with me. I am pretty sure that one of the main reasons why I am a confident person today is because of the unconditional love that she bestowed upon me and all six of her grandchildren. She would always stick up for us and she would never, ever let us say that we couldn't do something. She would take us to one side and insist that we could achieve anything that we wanted. I know that she sincerely believed it too. In this she was utterly consistent.
I think it was a product of her upbringing and also the tradition of Liverpool/Irish families to have very strong matriachal figure.
I miss my Nan a lot but I always get a very warm feeling whenever I remember her. Unfortunately she did not live as long as some, she was only 71 when she died after battling breast cancer for many years but she did have a good life and a very strong family around her. All six of us grandchildren were with her by her bedside at the moment she passed away as well as both of her children (my mother and my aunt) and that is a privilege that I will never forget.
Thanks for that. Actually made me cry - in a good way, though. We were both really lucky to have such wonderful women in our lives.
I've not been so lucky, I still have one gran (and i'm almost 30) but I barely know her, I only saw her a few months ago for the first time in 15 years. My mum's mum died this year and she was never a granny, never wanted to spend time with us. It makes me sad to think I had the chance of 30 years of grannies (and still do, but building a meaningful relationship is hard with so much water under the bridge) and have almost no memories to cherish.
Instead I try to make sure my girls have what I didn't and they have two fantastic and utterly different grannies. They are spoiled, praised, loved, taught, challenged, occasionally disciplined, adored and supported and if asked the girls will tell you that granny and grandma are pretty much at the top of the tree in the list of favourite people.
Ah, well. I hope one day my girls can write a post like you have about their grannies.
Thanks for sharing x
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