Happy Grandparents Day!

Snuggle napping with my Great Grandpa aka 'Shand-Dad'
Such a sweet & gentle soul!

I loved all my grandparents. I was lucky  to have had some awesome ones. I learned so much from each of them. Although they have all passed on they are never far from my thoughts. I think of each one fondly, BUT my relationship with my GanGan (aka Gang) was a special bond.
Gang & I during our last visit. I was trying to take a selfie with her.
She wanted to just lay her head on my forehead. 

GanGan was more than just my paternal grandmother. She was my mentor, my encourager, and my friend. She always had sound advice, great instinct and wisdom I always trusted. 
Her laugh was amazing and we laughed A LOT. As a matter of fact, GanGan was so cool that as a teenager my friends looked forward to her weekend visits so we could 'hang out' with her. 

BeeBee and I at Disneyland park, 1970. We loved our trips there


I lost my maternal grandmother, BeeBee, at the age of 16.  I remember Gang drove up to be with my mom and our family to help us through the funeral. At the time she was driving her Nissan Z; beautiful sports car! You know, your typical Grandmother car.😉

When the funeral was over, and we were all getting ready to leave, I told her, "GanGan, this day is so bad that it's definitely going down as the worst day yet!"  She handed me the keys to the Z then said, "Lets go for a drive." 
My Papa and GanGan, they were larger than life.
Humor and love were always in abundance with them.

"Would papa be ok me driving your car?", I asked. With a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye she said, "He's not the boss of me! Plus, what he doesn't know won't hurt him."
Now you would think that 15 minute drive was all about driving that super cool, very fast, sports car. But that drive will forever stick in my memory because it was 15 minutes of time alone with Gang. 

 She poured her wisdom, scripture, and love into my life. That was Gang; she could take what would have been a horrible day and made it into a memory of love. 

 I have endless examples of her love and encouragement. She did that with everyone. She was that way because she immersed herself in scripture and in prayer.  I honestly can't think of a single time I felt nothing but love and encouragement from her. She truly was one of my best friends. 
Baba's Boy! Being his grandma is nothing short of awesome!

 I miss Gang terribly but I now have a chance be that grandmother to Little A. So when he looks back on his life, he remembers Baba was always encouraging and loving to him. Thanks for the example Gang!! 

 If your grandparents are still with you then take some time today to give them a call or a visit. A hug from you or a hello would make this an awesome day for them. 

 Enjoy your week and remember to cherish your loved ones. 

 I'll be 'seeing' you in the next post soon.

 Lar

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