I'll Call It Like I See It

by sheila morris

Tag: 22nd anniversary

  • a letter to our granddaughters about love

    a letter to our granddaughters about love


    Dear Ella and Molly,

    Once upon a time before you were born, before your daddy had even met your mommy, before your Nana and Naynay were your grandmothers, your two Nanas went on a magical first vacation to a land far, far away in a place called Mexico.

    They packed their suitcases early one Friday morning, then drove to the airport and got on a very big airplane to fly high in the sky. While they were in the airplane, Nana asked Naynay are we there yet? several times because she did not like to fly in the airplane. Naynay would laugh and say not yet.

    Finally the airplane landed in Cancun, Mexico. Your Nana was so happy to be on the ground again, but your Naynay was very nervous about making sure they could find their luggage and a car ride to the hotel.

    They found their suitcases and got in a taxi that drove them to the most beautiful hotel, a tall white building with more floors than the hotel where Ella stayed with us when we went to the basketball game. Their room had blue tiles and a balcony where they could stand to see the people on the beach, the blue ocean, and the big blue swimming pool down below. Everything was blue except for your Nanas who were very happy to be on their first ever vacation together.

    The food was delicious in Mexico – every restaurant had salsa, chips, cheese dips and quesadillas better than the ones at places we go to here at home. The swimming pool at the hotel had water that was not too cold for swimming even in the winter; the beach was great for walking at night because the moonlight was so bright the sandy beach looked like a huge version of Ella’s sandbox in the back yard. It was fun to walk around holding hands at night after the hot sun had set.

    When you are older, we will tell you more stories about that magical first trip to Mexico when Nana and Naynay began to realize how much they loved each other. Your Nanas have taken many trips together since that first one, but you will see that sometimes the first time you experience deep feelings of love for someone can be the moments you never forget. For now you need to know we love you both more than you can imagine, and our vacations with you in the mountains and at the playground in Florida have been magical, too.

    We wish you joy and happiness wherever life leads, but most of all we wish you love,

    Naynay

    **********************

    Happy 22nd Anniversary, Nana. You still bring the spicy salsa to me every day, and I love you dearly.

  • cool at the zoo


    Collins is in town and wants to go to the zoo, I texted Pretty yesterday afternoon; they’ve invited us to bring Ella and Molly to go with them. Collins is the five year old granddaughter of our good friends Francie and Nekki – Collins lives in Charleston but she and Ella went to the zoo together in the days before Molly was born so they weren’t strangers.

    Do you think it’s too cold to take the girls to the zoo? Pretty texted back. Of course, we think any temperature below 60 degrees is freezing. I know, I know. Ask the people who live in other parts of the country about cold – they will laugh at us. Ella is our three year old granddaughter, Molly just turned one year old last week, and we’re worried about a sunny mid afternoon with temps in the 50s.

    It’s a sunshiny day, I said, we’ll keep them warm. To the zoo we went.

    Collins (left) and Ella in zoo’s fun photo booth

    Francie and I crashed photo booth party –

    think the little girls had more fun without us

    we did see a tiger in between photo booth, carousel, playground…

    and souvenir shop

    Nana Pretty with grands watching the tiger –

    Molly taken with big striped cat, Ella studying caves

    Molly kept warm in stroller – had big time watching, absorbing new sights and sounds

    put me down, Naynay – I’d rather walk

    (won’t let he who shall remain nameless take my red hat away from me)

    thanks to Nekki for this last screenshot with Pretty, me and the kids

    this is how we roll with them now that Molly is walking, too

    Ella lives in her own world – we are privileged to share it when it suits her.

    Pretty sent this text to Francie and Nekki last night after we dropped Ella and Molly at home with their parents: “We had such a good time this afternoon. So funny to me that we now have our grandchildren playing together…”

    Next week Pretty and I have our 22nd. Anniversary; these two friends have been with us from the beginning. I know for sure I never dreamed of having these awesome little girls in a million years, but I have celebrated family in new ways with Pretty who brings the fun with her sense of humor that still makes me – and now our granddaughters – laugh.

    President John F. Kennedy said children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. I love that idea and ask for wisdom to do my part in supporting these little girls with the same love, kindness, understanding and patience my grandmothers gave to me in a time long ago and far away but never forgotten.

    ***************

    Slava Ukraini. For the children.