Giving Thanks for Those Who Care for Others
Every Tuesday is Gratituesday here at NanaHood so you are probably familiar with the above icon. Hopefully you have visited my friend Laura at Heavenly Homemakers. If you haven’t, I recommend you do so. She is one busy lady and I love reading about her life and her boys.
Recently she had a story on about her grandmother and I asked her permission to share it with you.
My Nana is 83 years old, but she acts like she’s 63. (I totally hope I have her genes!) She can still get down on the floor and play with her great-grandkids, she goes out to lunch with her friends, she goes shopping…she’s so much fun!
Lately, something really cool has been happening between my Nana and me.
Email.
She lives in Arkansas, so we only see each other at family reunions every other year or so. Lately, we’ve been emailing back and forth. They are such treasured emails. I’ve been loving it! She writes of memories of me when I was born and she came to help my mom…she tells me sweet things I said to her when I was a little girl…she encourages me as I parent my boys.
It has been the neatest thing. I plan to save these emails from her in a folder because they are so wonderful to read.
One of Nana’s favorite words is “precious”. Nana has told me hundreds of times how precious I am and how precious Matt is and how precious my boys are. And my nana is precious too.
For years she has taken care of her handicapped brother, who is a few years younger than she is.
I’m so thankful for my precious Nana.
Laura
Laura’s story about her grandmother and the fact that she’s cared for a handicapped brother made me think of my grandmother, Grandma Layne. Some of my earliest memories of my grandmother involve watching her care for her invalid mother-in-law. Ma, as we called her. Ma was unable to walk or even stand. My grandmother cared for her for many years. Looking back I know that as a child I didn’t understand or appreciate the amount of work, love and patience it took. I know it had to be physicallyand mentally exhausting, but I don’t remember my grandmother ever complaining.
And so today I’m giving thanks for those who care for the sick, the handicapped, the less fortunate. God bless you and keep you strong!
My mom cared for my sister after her brain injury. She never complained…at least never out loud. My sister is now in an assisted living apartment and doing very well. But I know that my parents caring for her in those early days of recovery was what helped her along. Have a great week.