Profiles of My Grandmothers

My paternal, and oldest grandmother is Louise Bethea, who we affectionately call, "Nana". This year she turned 87 on January 27th of this year. She was born and raised in a small town, Fairmont, North Carolina and then moved to New York City where she spent the majority of her years. She raised two children in New York, my aunt and my father, and just celebrated her 63rd Wedding Anniversary with my grandfather. Nana ended up having an extensive family in New York, especially on the block where she raised her family, Inwood Street, in Jamaica, New York. All of the children came to call her "Mrs. B" and she made sure everyone was cared for and safe. I am the youngest of her two grandchildren, my cousin is ten years older but my Nana has five great grandchildren, all my cousin's children. I was two years old when my Nana and Papa moved from New York to North Carolina and I only saw them three or four times a year. Nana was always fun and nurturing! She taught me how to give of myself by volunteering and how to cook and we always seemed to be doing laundry (smile).

My parents and I left New York during the 2005 holiday season. We spent our first Christmas in North Carolina and moved Nana and Papa into our home. Papa had asked for help the previous Christmas and Daddy promised to be there within a year and he always keeps his word...

My maternal grandmother, "Grandma," just turned 75 on March 15th of this year. She just celebrated 50 years of marriage with my grandfather and has only been diagnosed with Alzheimer's for 4 or so years but it seems to be more aggressive in her case. She was born in a small town called Carrolton, Alabama and moved to New York where she met my Granddaddy. They married and raised my mother as an only child. I spent most weekday afternoons, and weekends with these grandparents while I was growing up in New York. My grandfather's job asked them to move, and so they did and they retired to North Carolina. My grandmother helped me with my homework, would style my hair before school and make my meals when my parents were working. I traveled to Alabama with them during the summer and I learned what it meant to work hard and provide for your household. Grandma was a babysitter by trade and always had a house full of children, I met my best friend at my Grandma's house.

It was truly a blessing that we decided to move to North Carolina for Nana's sake because in doing so we put ourselves in a position to be closer to Grandma. This weekend I was able to do something with her, that I had not been able to do with Nana, and that was to tell her how much she meant to me and how much I loved her and wanted nothing more than to protect her from the pain that I know is going to come...

The Alzheimer's Walk in Greensboro is this coming Saturday and it isn't too late to register, it's free!

http://2011walktoendalz.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=450892