Ten Years On and I Still Miss You Nanna

My Nanna (grandma) died ten years ago. Ample time for me to forget, you might say. But there are some people who we will never forget because they touch our lives in so many beautiful ways. Even now I find it hard to think of my Nanna without tears coming to my eyes. She was really a wonderful person.

My Nanna was born in 1916, at the height of the Great War, the eldest of 9 siblings (two of whom died in infancy from whooping cough). I remember asking her so many questions about those two dead babies. I could not understand that the medicines and vaccines that we take for granted today did not exist back then. Life must have been hard in ways we can never know.

My earliest memories of my Nanna are of when she would pick me up from pre-school and take me for a walk on the country road that led out of our part of town. We would walk to a farm to watch the sheep and goats feed. Then my Nanna would patiently feed me a banana, bit by small bit – I did not eat much back then. I am lucky to have many other precious memories along with a few keepsakes from her little house. With the wisdom of hindsight, I wish I had appreciated her more when she was still alive. The biggest arrogance of youth is that we think we will always have time to do something tomorrow. But sometimes, there are no tomorrows left.

I miss her still. We all do. But I know she would not want us to be sad, so this little tribute is my way of remembering her and the good times we had together. And since her name was Rose, I thought I would post a picture of that beautiful flower which always reminds me of her.

This post was supposed to be published on June 19 – the anniversary of my Nanna’s death. But somehow I must not have got the hang of how to have Blogger automatically publish posts. So I am publishing it today.

As you can see, I am back :) and I will soon be around visiting all of you. I have missed you all but had a great vacation and I am sure you will soon be hearing lots about it.