i am one of twenty seven or so grandchildren. at that point, who really counts. nanny and poppy, my dad's parents. parents to five boys. lived in hollywood, back when hollywood was fantastic. nanny was a seamstress at the studios. poppy owned a gas station. the kind of gas station where they knew your name and took care of you; not where you slid money behind a plexiglass wall without making eye contact.
she used to slide me turkey cracklings under the table with a 'shh' and a smile. i always felt like her favorite. i think we all felt that way. because this was what she did.
she knew how to love. how to live.
::
i hope that when i die, i am able to leave my family members with the same kind of lingering smile that happens when someone brings up her name.
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That's an amazing photo -- truly amazing. And in so few words, you've conjured her for us.
ReplyDeleteshe's infectious! my god, i believe her. whatever she's professing, i believe her.
ReplyDeletexo
erin
(all the smashing best in this next year. what a strange line to cross, eh, into a new year. let's put ourselves to the mettle and find out what we are really made of.)))
xo
erin
This post reminds me of how important our photographs are. You know? Before I even read your words about her, I knew your Nanny. I knew her joy and her passion for life. It's all right there - on her face. Lucky you. Lucky her.
ReplyDeleteNanny was a very special person and yes, she made every one of us feel like her favorite. I remember every time we went over for a special meal she made a rack of lamb since that was everyone in the family's except I hate lamb; so she would always make me a steak. That's the person she was....could be a stern taskmaster but always done with loving kid gloves. Goodness knows raising that many boys required love, discipline and a purpose, which she had mastered and made it look easy.
ReplyDeleteShe believed in goodness - something the world could try to do.
I always loved you Laurette Knott.