This is a painting my Nana made some 40 years ago. She was a fabulous artist despite the crippling arthritis in her hands.
When my brother and I were going through my mom’s things as we cleaned out her apartment a couple of weeks ago, I grabbed it right away for my keep pile.
My Nana and I had a special bond. I was her youngest and only grand “daughter” amongst her grandchildren (although my brother shared a birthday with her, which sorta chumped that). The last vivid memory I have of her was at my “Sweet 16” party. She sadly and unexpectedly passed away a few short months later.
She lived in Ottawa and was a “Snowbird” during the winter months so we didn’t get to see each other as much as I would have liked to, especially once my family relocated from Montreal to Toronto when I was 8 years old; but somehow we made it work. I always looked forward to our time spent together and loved her intentional visits every spring upon her return from Florida when she and my Papa would make a special detour to Toronto on their way home to Ottawa; suitcases filled with new clothes for my brother and I and lots and lots of yummy treats we couldn’t get in Canada at that time. The double stuffed oreos were always my favourite.
I think of my Nana often. I don’t take any of my cherished memories of her for granted. I only wish she could’ve seen me get married like my other grandparents had (who were also very special to me), or been able to make her a great-grandmother as I was her first grandchild to have a baby of my own. Sadly, we can’t change the past, so instead, I find comfort in being able to witness the amazing bond my own children have today with their paternal buby. The older they get, the more endearing it becomes.
A couple of months prior to my 50th birthday a few years ago I shared a heartfelt blog with you describing how I had very few pictures or memorabilia of myself or family and friends from infancy to my late teens due to circumstances beyond my control which still triggers me often and fills me with so much anger and resentment (see blog: https://youareenough712.wordpress.com/2021/04/15/empty-picture-frames/).
Little did I know that from that blog would emerge one of the most cherished and meaningful gifts I could have ever imagined. After reading that particular blog, my brother set out on a mission to hunt down pictures from our childhood. Along with the help of my sister in law, my nephews, Rich and my three kids they spent hours and hours exchanging emails and text messages with one another, reaching out to dear friends and family who were a big part of our childhood and formatting the layout and design together (all behind my back) in order to create a keepsake album for me from infancy to present day, 50 years later. I keep it close to my heart and look to it often as a source of comfort, especially when I am feeling most vulnerable.
Being able to add my Nana’s painting to my collection of happy memories from my childhood is such a blessing. For some reason, I have always been drawn to this particular painting of hers, but I never truly understood why until now. I now see it in a much deeper and more meaningful light than I once had as a child. I realize now that not only did my Nana pass down her creative soul to me, but could she have also played an integral role in my love of nature and ability to always see the beauty and calm in it too; long before, that is, the #summerofrich was ever a thing!
#memories #grandparents #mynana #painting #childhoodmemories #myfamily #meaningful #creativesoul #mentalhealth #pictureperfect #nature
YouAreEnough 