Happy Birthday Grannie!

I am a very blessed person. Yes, I do realize this even though I often complain about my circumstances - past and present. God has been very good to me despite myself. Today is my grandmother's birthday. Grannie is an amazing person, and I am so much better for having her in my life. She is married to my grandfather, who now is an amazing man, but that is in large part because of her. In May they will celebrate 60 years of marriage. She is a mother of 4 girls all 15 months apart. All are successful and still all love to be together. As a child growing up almost all of our family lived in the same town and as I look back I can't even tell where my immediate family stops and my extended family begins. I remember all of us - grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins - always together. Not just for special occasions, although those are included, but random Monday nights or Saturday afternoons. Family was just a part of life. As we got older my best cousin Janel and I would complain about having to go to "another family event", but even then we knew it was where we belonged, who we were, and ultimately those were the people that most mattered. In the center of it all was Grannie. Again, truly amazing. Grannie could send an "I love you" look across the room without ever saying anything. She could also discipline you without saying a word from 2 blocks away. I know this first hand. She could make a meal out of leftovers and no one would know. In fact she could do anything on a budget and no one would be the wiser. She is wise and loving and I am who I am in part because of her. I am proud that my oldest daughter is named for her. In fact I actually wanted Avery to be LATE so they could have the same birthday. I pray that my children get to know her better. What a blessing she has been, is, and always will be. Happy Birthday Grannie! I love you!