My Granny raised me. When my parents divorced I went to live with my Daddy. His shop, where he worked was behind his house, so I always ended up at my Granny's where I had a companion. My Grandaddy died when I was 4, which was the very time my parents divorced. So Granny and I were there for each other in both of our times of need. She was very tender hearted, very kind and Christ-like. My Granny taught me how to love and how to treat the ones we love. She was so sweet and never unfair.
As I grew into an older child, I did tend to take advantage of her sweetness.
As a teenager I wanted my freedom and she allowed it...to a point. When I was away for too long she would call every friends phone number she had and she would eventually find me!
I finally moved out of town. I worked 2 blocks from her house, so everyday on the way to work I would come and eat breakfast with her. She never got tired of me and neither did I of her. She was so easy to talk to so caring, and such a great listener.
Gran was very particular about her house. Her house never got dirty. She made me pick up after myself, and to always do things the way they should be done. She HAD to have the bath mat picked up after every shower. The television was never left on and before she would leave the house she always checked her tires to make sure they looked safe enough to drive.
She loved Jeremy, my husband. She agreed on one thing, we both thought he was gorgeous. She made him laugh and he likes anyone who can do that. Gran was so funny. She'd tell those old folk jokes and he just loved her to death.
When I had my son she was the biggest help, even though she lived an hour away. She taught me so many old remedies. She'd help out in any way she could ALWAYS. I worked part time and she'd keep him even though she couldn't even pick up his chunky butt!
When I went into labor with my daughter 10 weeks early we ended up having her at UNC. So we moved into my Granny's house for a month in order to be close to Sydney in the hospital. Not many people would take on an entire family into their home for that long, but she was glad to.
Sydney, Cameron and I saw her every week from that point on. We would take the day and go visit her. That was the only place other than home they would take a nap. Because they were used it every week.
On the second day of a beach trip I got a phone call...Gran was in the hospital, and wasn't doing good at all. She went down hill from there. For the next 4 months she progressively got worse. I would go see her at least every other day. She began to forget things. One day she asked me if Jennifer had made my dress. It hurt me so bad. I didn't even have a dress on.
I would bathe her, and help her to the toilet (which was right by her bed). She would call for her Mama who had died 10 days before I was born, and would say the craziest things.
One Friday I stayed with her while my Daddy was working. She wasn't herself at all that day, and I knew she was ready for heaven. I couldn't let myself see her again, it just hurt too much. The very next Wednesday I got a phone call from my Daddy saying she had passed comfortably in her bed with the family sitting with her. That was the worst day of my entire life...
I cried until there were no more tears. Still sometimes I can't hold back the tears when her name is mentioned. My son tells people not to talk about her because it makes me cry.
But the 28 years we spent together was such a blessing to me! She taught me so much. She taught me about the Lord and how to do the Lords work. She was a priceless part of my life. I agree with the old saying, it is better to love and lose than to never love at all.
Sydney is a very prissy little girl, who loses her time playing by herself in her room. Occasionally she will come out with make-up all over her face. We will sometimes get into deep conversations about heaven and the people we have lost who are there now. She is so understanding and loving. I couldn't have had a sweeter girl to call my own.
She will go outside and play sports with her Daddy, brother and me even though she really isn't all that sporty. She would rather spend time with us doing something she really doesn't care about than no to have spent time with us at all.
Sydney is an excellent swimmer. Before she could even walk she would get into the pool with her Daddy and swim. She would jump into the pool, going under water just to get pulled out and do it over and over again. She loves the water!
Sydney is so low maintenance, she can spend an hour out in the yard with her Papa just playing on her tricycle.
When Sydney was a baby she was in the hospital for 6 weeks. When we finally got to bring her home the very first thing I did was to polish her toe and finger nails. I think that was the beginning of the pris-pot we know and love.
Sydney does ballet. She started when she was 3 and loves to dance. She just popped into this pose with no one prompting her.
This coming July she will start kindergarten! I will honestly say, I am not in the least excited! She is though. She can't wait to go meet new friends, to go shopping for school clothes and a new back-pack, and to be big! I am expecting to cry my way back to the car that day! I will miss her so much. We are partners in crime. We go everywhere and do most everything together. But it is just the first of so many mile-stones to come!
