Nanny.

Nanny the Great,

You came into my life when I was practically a newborn. You cared for me, as well as other children, but I somehow became your favorite and soon I was the only child in your care. I think it may have been the fact that all I did was sleep, but maybe my charming good baby looks helped too. When my mom and dad divorced my mom and I ended up at your house- 445 Oakdale Rd. You still live there and it means so much to me to be able to come back to the place I most consider home.
After the divorce my dad wasn't around as much as he should have been and my mom was still lost in sadness. You stepped up in a way that meant making me your own. As an adult I see the fault in this, both on your part and my parents, but at the time it was what I needed. You cooked me breakfast before school, grits and scrambled eggs and biscuits. You helped me with my homework and cooked me dinner...fried potatoes and onions, fried chicken, roast, cornbread, steamed cabbage and green beans with bacon fat. I would be lying if I said a huge portion of my fondest memories aren't founded in your cooking. I have a feeling Jesiah's fondest memories of you will stem from strawberry cake and cookies, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
Food was big with us, but there is so much more. There was front porch sitting, guessing what color the next car would be, WCW Friday Night watching- along with Dirty Dancing, your personal favorite, rummy and Scrabble. When I think of you I think of slippers and housecoats and wood floors and kitchens and sky blue Buick's and headacher eyepepper nosesmeller moutheater chinhopper gitchagitchagitcha! Although life in your house was not always peaches you helped create a childhood I don't mind remembering.
I love you just as much now as I ever have. I make plans to visit as often as I can, spending countless hours just sitting in your living room watching the news or doing a crossword in that enormous crossword book of yours.I dig through your closets and dressers and jewelry boxes and find treasures that you tell me to keep. I have you to thank for holding on to my WCW fanny pack which was of great use at my most recent yard sale. You are going on 90 and still just as sharp tongued and stubborn as ever. Jesiah loves you enormously, and as long as your stubborn butt sticks around I am sure Presley will too. I hate that I have not been able to talk to you as much as I would like these past few months, but please know I think of you always, and miss you just as much.

Love,
Smallfry