I spoke at Nanny's funeral. It was no easy task. I'm really proud of myself, and suprised that I was able to do it. I would never have been able to do it for Papaw's funeral, because it was so sudden and unexpected. He was so full of life...SuperMan to me. Nothing held him back. But my dear Nanny had been sick for a while, and I believe the Lord helped me by preparing me for her death. He put thoughts and dreams of her in my mind for months before she passed. I'm glad Nanny is no longer suffering. And as I said the other day at her funeral, I would much rather focus on the fact that she led a very vibrant, full, happy life...I don't want to focus on her death. Death doesn't win, when you have memories like mine. The following is a compilation of memories of mine. I read this at her funeral. I share it with you now.
Nanny Was ALWAYS There
February 9, 2007
When I was a little girl, I attended school at Barrett Elementary, which was just 2 houses away from my Nanny & Papaw’s house. I walked home everyday to their house when school let out, and there I waited for my dad to get home from work. I remember Nanny always had a box of ice-cream in the freezer for my brothers and I to have an after school snack. I loved being at Nanny’s house. She was so much fun! She had the most infectious laugh of anyone I’ve ever known! And, I’m sorry, it has to be said…sometimes she would get so tickled at someone or something, and she would have to “EXCUSE” herself from the room….laughing all the way.
Most of you know what I’m talking about!
Nanny was always there~laughing. When word came of her death Wednesday, all I could see in my head was that great big smile of hers, and I remembered her laugh. I smiled too, because when Nanny laughed, you laughed with her!
I remember once when I was in 2nd grade, my teacher wrote a note home to my parents about the fact that I had been daydreaming a lot in class. I was staring out the window of my classroom. When my Mom asked me about it, I knew exactly what I had been doing. I could see Nanny and Papaw’s house from the window of my classroom, and I was hoping to catch a glimpse of them. From time to time, I could see my Papaw’s work truck, coming and going throughout the day, and I knew Nanny was always there at her house, and I was jealous, because I wanted to be there too. Can you blame me? Who’d want to be at school, when you could be with Nanny?
Many times, when I was sick Nanny would take care of me while my parents had to work. If I got sick at school, she’d come get me and take me home with her. She’d always have me some ginger ale and crackers to eat. Nanny was always there.
As I got older, she helped me with my homework in the afternoons. Her favorite was my Math homework…which was good for me, because I hated Math! Especially the “Long Division” work problems that seemed to go on and on and never end. More often, than not, and especially if I’d let her…I’d ask Nanny for help with a hard problem, and before I knew it, she’d solved it for me. She’d end up doing a lot of my Math homework… (Perhaps the reason I was never a good math student!) When she’d realized what she’d done, that infectious giggle of hers came bellowing out. She loved to laugh….Nanny was always there…to do your homework for you and laugh about it later!
On those long hot summers, I spent the day with Nanny. We talked about everything. She taught me Bible stories. She told me about her Mother and Father. I learned about Wayne, my Uncle and Jeff, my Cousin, both of whom I never knew. We’d talk while she was sipping coffee at the kitchen table, washing dishes, making the beds, or while she was carrying those ridiculously heavy buckets of water that she filled up in the bath tub and toted them all the way to the washing machine so she could do laundry. She made the beds everyday, and I watched intensely as she smoothed every wrinkle out of the sheets. When I asked her why she worked so hard on getting those wrinkles out, she would tell me the story about “The Princess and the Pea”. For those of you that don’t know that story, it’s about a Prince searching for a “TRUE” princess to marry, so the queen invited a young lady to spend the night in the castle and the queen placed a single pea at the bottom of the bed sheet, and covered the bed with 40 extra layers of bed sheets. When the Queen asked the young lady the next day how she slept, She replied ‘ Oh, very poorly! I scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, and I couldn’t sleep a wink.’ The queen then immediately ordered a wedding. Only a true princess could be so delicate as to feel a pea through forty layers of bed sheets.’ Nanny then would tell me, “if a true princess couldn’t sleep with a single pea in the bed, then she wouldn’t sleep with a wrinkle either”. Nanny was always there with funny stories to tell.
I loved spending the night with Nanny. We’d stay up late at night watching movies on TV, and it always seemed to be a scary movie. That house was so big, and dark, and frightening after watching a scary movie, that I stayed stuck to her side-too scared to go into a room with out her. Again, she just laughed at me. But that laugh was so comforting. Nanny was always there!
I have a lot of good memories with Nanny. I know she loved us all so much. You always knew when you called her house, she’d answer the phone…because Nanny was always there. When you pulled up at her house-she’d either be on the front porch swing, or in the kitchen, because Nanny was always there. (that is, unless is was Saturday, which was when Aunt Kathy took her to the grocery store!).
Today, Nanny is at peace. I know she loved God and believed in Jesus as her Savior. I do too, partly because of the seeds of faith she placed in me during my childhood. And if you too are a child of God, a believer in Christ, then you will be reunited with Nanny and Papaw again one day in heaven. Personally, my soul longs for that day. I can’t wait. Nanny is there waiting.
Nanny, I love you, I’ll miss you. Thank you for always being there!
Jenny Lee
February 9, 2007
When I was a little girl, I attended school at Barrett Elementary, which was just 2 houses away from my Nanny & Papaw’s house. I walked home everyday to their house when school let out, and there I waited for my dad to get home from work. I remember Nanny always had a box of ice-cream in the freezer for my brothers and I to have an after school snack. I loved being at Nanny’s house. She was so much fun! She had the most infectious laugh of anyone I’ve ever known! And, I’m sorry, it has to be said…sometimes she would get so tickled at someone or something, and she would have to “EXCUSE” herself from the room….laughing all the way.
Most of you know what I’m talking about!
Nanny was always there~laughing. When word came of her death Wednesday, all I could see in my head was that great big smile of hers, and I remembered her laugh. I smiled too, because when Nanny laughed, you laughed with her!
I remember once when I was in 2nd grade, my teacher wrote a note home to my parents about the fact that I had been daydreaming a lot in class. I was staring out the window of my classroom. When my Mom asked me about it, I knew exactly what I had been doing. I could see Nanny and Papaw’s house from the window of my classroom, and I was hoping to catch a glimpse of them. From time to time, I could see my Papaw’s work truck, coming and going throughout the day, and I knew Nanny was always there at her house, and I was jealous, because I wanted to be there too. Can you blame me? Who’d want to be at school, when you could be with Nanny?
Many times, when I was sick Nanny would take care of me while my parents had to work. If I got sick at school, she’d come get me and take me home with her. She’d always have me some ginger ale and crackers to eat. Nanny was always there.
As I got older, she helped me with my homework in the afternoons. Her favorite was my Math homework…which was good for me, because I hated Math! Especially the “Long Division” work problems that seemed to go on and on and never end. More often, than not, and especially if I’d let her…I’d ask Nanny for help with a hard problem, and before I knew it, she’d solved it for me. She’d end up doing a lot of my Math homework… (Perhaps the reason I was never a good math student!) When she’d realized what she’d done, that infectious giggle of hers came bellowing out. She loved to laugh….Nanny was always there…to do your homework for you and laugh about it later!
On those long hot summers, I spent the day with Nanny. We talked about everything. She taught me Bible stories. She told me about her Mother and Father. I learned about Wayne, my Uncle and Jeff, my Cousin, both of whom I never knew. We’d talk while she was sipping coffee at the kitchen table, washing dishes, making the beds, or while she was carrying those ridiculously heavy buckets of water that she filled up in the bath tub and toted them all the way to the washing machine so she could do laundry. She made the beds everyday, and I watched intensely as she smoothed every wrinkle out of the sheets. When I asked her why she worked so hard on getting those wrinkles out, she would tell me the story about “The Princess and the Pea”. For those of you that don’t know that story, it’s about a Prince searching for a “TRUE” princess to marry, so the queen invited a young lady to spend the night in the castle and the queen placed a single pea at the bottom of the bed sheet, and covered the bed with 40 extra layers of bed sheets. When the Queen asked the young lady the next day how she slept, She replied ‘ Oh, very poorly! I scarcely closed my eyes all night. Heaven only knows what was in the bed, but I was lying on something hard, and I couldn’t sleep a wink.’ The queen then immediately ordered a wedding. Only a true princess could be so delicate as to feel a pea through forty layers of bed sheets.’ Nanny then would tell me, “if a true princess couldn’t sleep with a single pea in the bed, then she wouldn’t sleep with a wrinkle either”. Nanny was always there with funny stories to tell.
I loved spending the night with Nanny. We’d stay up late at night watching movies on TV, and it always seemed to be a scary movie. That house was so big, and dark, and frightening after watching a scary movie, that I stayed stuck to her side-too scared to go into a room with out her. Again, she just laughed at me. But that laugh was so comforting. Nanny was always there!
I have a lot of good memories with Nanny. I know she loved us all so much. You always knew when you called her house, she’d answer the phone…because Nanny was always there. When you pulled up at her house-she’d either be on the front porch swing, or in the kitchen, because Nanny was always there. (that is, unless is was Saturday, which was when Aunt Kathy took her to the grocery store!).
Today, Nanny is at peace. I know she loved God and believed in Jesus as her Savior. I do too, partly because of the seeds of faith she placed in me during my childhood. And if you too are a child of God, a believer in Christ, then you will be reunited with Nanny and Papaw again one day in heaven. Personally, my soul longs for that day. I can’t wait. Nanny is there waiting.
Nanny, I love you, I’ll miss you. Thank you for always being there!
Jenny Lee
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