Nanna Would Love You

I’m convinced that my grandpa and my grandma lived a real life love story. It is so magical and romantic…something that you don’t really fully appreciate until you’re older.

I know I’m not going to give their fairy tale any justice writing about it here, but I plan to do a podcast with my grandpa to relive the story. My grandpa was in the military and while stationed in Austria, he spotted a beautiful woman who would dance in the forest with her sisters. He told his buddies that *that* woman would be the love of his life and he would marry her. And that’s exactly what he did.

He would ride a bicycle 20 miles from camp just to see her dance in the woods.

I’ll give you a little time to pick your heart out of the puddle it just became! 😍

My grandma was a tough love kind of lady, and she wasn’t afraid to raise a wooden spoon at you! But you damned be sure that you deserve it if she did! There is no doubt she was a woman of intention; she meant what she said. But what she also was was a woman with a beautiful smile, a caretaker’s soul, and one hell of a cook!

I was fortunate to spend some time with her days before we lost her in the hospital. She taught me how to make her cucumber salad (that I swear she threw in some extra secret ingredient, because mine never tastes like hers). It was a beautiful night spent with her talking about men, life, and food. I always remember these curtains she had hanging in her kitchen window. They were sheer, lacey white curtains with a pattern of purple berries and green fruits.

My jaw dropped when I saw this dress for sale. It reminded me of those curtains.

Waylin and I decided to go explore the corn field across the street. Seeing her walk the field reminded me of this image I have in my head from my grandpa’s love story.

I wish Waylin knew my Nanna. Waylin adores Poppy with the same intensity that I love him, so I know she would have loved her fiercely (and vice versa!) I think my grandma would have been proud of me and what kind of mother I have become. And she would have shown Waylin the greatest smile she’s ever seen.

I hope one day all three of us get to meet and have a bowl of cucumber salad together. 🙏