LILLIAN MAUDE DICKSON ADAMS

My  Nana

 Written by Terry Conner

    Just saying “My Nana” makes me feel warm and happy.  She died when I was very young, but I do have two distinct memories of her.  The first one was in her kitchen in her Seattle home.  My brother Pat and I were laying on our tummys sharing a coloring book.  Nana was behind us at the sink washing vegetables or doing dishes.  Pat looked over at my picture and firmly stated, “your picture is all booping!”    I jumped up, went over to Nana and yanked on her flowered dress.  She turned, looked down at my sad little face, and asked me what the matter was.  I told her that Pat had said my picture was all booping.  “I’ll have to take a look at it” she said, and sat down in a kitchen chair and told Pat to bring her the coloring book.  She looked at that picture for a very long time.  And then, she tore it out of the book!  Now, as young as I was,  I knew that picture wasn’t good and was now convinced Nana would agree with Pat.  She put that picture up on the refrigerator saying how beautiful the colors were.  I was so proud!  Not of the picture…I knew it was awful, but of my Nana and how very loved I was.  If I made it, in my Nana’s eyes, it was wonderful.

   My second memory of Nana was when she was sick in bed.  I had a small child’s rocking chair that was placed upon her bed where I sang to her, “By Baby Nana”, at the top of my voice.  After some time, I decided to go get a cookie from my mom.  I wanted two cookies, but my mom said it was too close to dinner time and I could only have one.  I went back into Nana’s room with a pout on my face.  When Nana asked what was wrong, I told her, “I NEED a cookie for each hand”.  I’ll always remember her voice ringing out, “Margaret, get this baby another cookie!”  My mom was not happy.  But I knew in my child’s heart that Nana ruled and I was her sweetheart.

   As I grew up, I always felt my Nana’s unconditional love.  I had a small picture of her in an oval frame that I talked to all the time.  Especially during those troublesome teen years.  She “visited “ me three times during my life and I still feel her near me.

   Cousin Bob tells of a time when he, his family, and Nana came to visit our family in California.  Nana went outside to collect Bob and Pat.  As she was telling the boys to come in, my brother Pat took off around the house yelling over his shoulder, “don’t try to run Nana, ya can’t catch me!”

    Mom told me this very special story about Nana.  My mother and father lived several hours’ drive from Nana.  One night, about 2:45 am, my mother woke up.  She checked the clock, and at the foot of her bed, she saw her mom.  Nana told her that she had to go, but loved her very much, would always be with her, and to take good care of her babies.  Then she was gone.  Mom thought it was a dream and went back to sleep.  A few hours later came the phone call to inform my mom that Nana had died.  The time of her death was 2:45!  Pretty magical eh?  You are too cool Nana.

  Both my mom and aunt Dody said that Nana had a very kind and loving heart.  All of their girlfriends, {and some of the guys too} would come to her for advice.  Her forgiving ways and wise council made her a very popular mom.

   I am so proud that I have shared a few brief moments in time with this wonderful woman!  I am thrilled to be her granddaughter.