Nana

I grew up with a grandmother who is spiritual to the core. Not so much in her church going habits, her religiosity, or her high moral standards, but in her clinging to her faith as the only truth that was really worth anything. No matter what, there were Bibles on the kitchen table, and they were never for show. She read these Bibles over and over, year after year. They accompanied her through life’s ups and downs and when she found herself laying face down in one of life’s valleys, she would open up these Bibles and just read them. She read them laughing... She read them crying... She read them to herself... She read them out loud... She them when she needed an answer... She read them to find a question... She read them... and she still does. They gave her peace. They instilled something in her that stilled the stormy waters of her not so perfect life and helped her to get up every time she was knocked down. Just a few days ago she was telling me that she was talking to God, and she is so certain that God hears every word. Ever so sincere and unpretentious as she is. She’s just a simple woman, but there is something within her that shines through and enables her to see beyond life’s disappointments to something greater, and whether you agree or disagree about what that something is, you feel the energy and power that it generates in her. She can touch you and heal your broken heart. She can speak a word to you to encourage your wounded soul. Its something wonderful that God put inside of her. Its like a balm that heals the oppression of dreams unfulfilled and hopes deferred. It's one of the things that makes me believe "I can." That's Nana, and I am a better person from knowing her.