My Granny

My Granny isn't your typical grandmother. She's not the sweet, little old lady who cooks Sunday lunch after church like other grandmothers do. In fact she's quite opposite. Her grandmotherly name is actually "Big Granny" but I shortened it to just Granny for me. She carried a gun for many years. She loves baseball and Days of our Lives. I never saw her use the oven and I lived with her for several years. She can burp louder than most grown men. She's not afraid to say a curse word. She adores ice cream and peaches and cream oatmeal. Those are the only two foods I've never heard her complain about.

When I was a kid I remember going over to my Granny's house to spend the night and we'd have to watch baseball all night. I didn't mind because she let me have unlimited amounts of ice cream sandwiches. When I was in college she would send me $20 every month because she said that was what she spent on my other cousins by taking them to McDonald's or buying them other things and she didn't want me to miss out just because I didn't live near her. I knew better than to call during Days of our Lives. She'd answer the phone but would only talk to me for a minute or less. She was not going to miss her show. She use to have this huge ball of gray hair on her head. Every time I would walk in the door I would immediately have to touch the hair and she never minded.

I remember bringing my Granny to "show and tell" at school when I was in the first or second grade. She was the only grandmother I knew to wear a sheriff's uniform. She worked for the Sheriff's Department. My Granny isn't your typical grandmother. She is unique and special and adored by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She has 12 grandchildren, but I'm her favorite.

My Granny is dying. I'm sad.

She has a mass on her stomach, liver and kidneys. There is nothing more that can be done. Her doctor gave her 6-8 months to live. I immediately went to MS to see her when I heard the news. I wanted to see her just in case something happened. I'm glad I went although it was extremely hard to see her that way. Currently she is in hospice care. She wakes up occasionally. Her organs are failing. As horrible as this sounds, the first thing I pray for every night is that God will take her. She is in pain and miserable. She has always been so tough. It's not fair that she is dying this slow death.

I love her so much and I'm going to miss her more than I realize right now.




Granny & I, Christmas 2009





4 generations (Oct. 2006)