n.
1. The mother of one's father or mother.
2. A female ancestor.
Moments ago I was scrolling down twitter and came across Elle Magazine's
tweet about an article on their website called A tribute to inspirational
women. A book was mentioned which was titled 'My Other Mother', upon reading
this many of the staff at Elle Magazine felt inspired to share treasured
memories of their own grandmothers.
As soon as I began reading the memoirs of these women and their connection
with their grandmothers I felt compelled to write about my own grandmother.
I do not call Janet by the title Grandmother I much prefer Nan instead
and so does she, it's a preference we both agree on. She is roughly 5'3 but transmits
the positivity of a BT Tower. Before I even existed my nan had already dealt
with much more grief than most women at the age of 45, she had lost her son. My
uncle Dennis was 20 when he died in a freak accident which occurred in Germany,
he was practising in the Army. I cannot imagine the pain and grief that has tormented with my Nan's emotions,
your children are never supposed to die before you. Ever. They are meant to
carry on your genes and blood, they are your legacy. Someone you have loved and
nurtured from a boy to a man to then be cruelly snatched away from you must be
one of the most difficult things to deal with. Just a few years before this
tragic event my nan's very own mother had bowel cancer, as she attempted to
battle her illness my nan took it upon her as the eldest of her siblings to
move in with my great grandmother and nursed her right until the day she died.
It really does baffle me how my nan copes so well when she is faced
with some of the most awful things but this is why I admire her the most. I
idolise my nan because she deals with grief so well, she stands up to it, she
takes it on and battles it. She always
wins with her positivity. I will never know how she rises above it so much especially
with such ease. She has this great enthusiasm for life and just constantly
keeps on going while being fuelled by tea.
I believe her approach to life is something many of us should take on,
most of us including myself are so negative about the tiniest of things yet my
nan who has these battle scars is happier than the majority. Despite losing my
Grandad in 2004 to a very rapid and aggressive form of bowel cancer, she still
took it on in her stride and continued life with her positive approach. She
treasures her memories with him and talks about him so fondly and lovingly and
not once is a tear seen.
I have never met anyone like this lady and i am incredibly proud to call this extraordinary human being my nan.
here is a link to the article itself A tribute to inspirational women
