Grandma Nancy

To say that my step-grandmother-in-law passed away does not feel nearly endearing enough to describe the woman that Grandma Nancy was to me and the way that she made me feel whenever I was with her.

Getting to spend time with Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jim is a special treat for Tyler, the kids, and me. Not only do we live a long way away, but work schedules are busy and there are always those darn cows of Grandpa’s to be fed and watered. Because our visits have been few, they each has felt like an extra special treat.

No matter what, Grandma Nancy insisted upon spoiling the grandkids. And when I say grandkids, I don’t mean great-grandkids. It seems like once you have kids of your own, you are just the parents to the grandkids. That was not the case with grandma. She would not take no for an answer when offering to take Tyler, Jenna, and me to Norman’s to get something special just for us…and I have no doubt the rest of you grandkids as well. However, so much more importantly, when I say spoiling, Grandma Nancy did not just spoil us with material possessions. She also spoiled us with attention. When we were in Cut Bank for a visit, we were number one. We got full attention from Grandma Nancy because she was not affected by the distractions of everyday life. Rather, she made us a priority and she was there to spend quality time with us and made sure to do so.

What I think I will miss the most about Grandma is watching the way that she and Grandpa treated each other. I loved getting to witness their teasing banter…some may even call it flirting…between the two of them. For a marriage that lasted nearly 20 years, it was clear to me that they still loved each other, depended upon each other, and liked to spend time together. I loved the way Grandma Nancy would say, “Oh Jim” and slap him on the leg after he gave her a hard time over something. What role models to show us all that love does not fade away with age. It can grow stronger.

Although I cannot be there today to say good-bye, I want Grandma to know that I love her and will miss her. Sooner than we all realize, though, we will see her again in heaven. And I am sure that she will make each one of us feel as though she has been waiting the entire time to see just us…because that’s how special she made me feel each time we got to visit.