Nana

Nana keeps a large atlas beside the piano. From Boston to Bogota, Cambridge to Caracas, she plotted out our every move, sometimes even before us children knew exactly where we were going, and it was her steady pianists’ fingers that reminded me that San Pedro Sula is actually not so far from Havana, and that in reality, nowhere is far from home. Our destinations and dreams were her own, not only because Nana and Papa journeyed transcontinentally wherever we went and cherished our postcards so dearly, but also because no one was ever as excited about our adventures as her.

For me, Wigton Lane was my home away from home throughout my 5 years at university in England. Nana would stand on the edge of the driveway or the platform at the station up to two hours before my scheduled arrival, come rain or snow, waiting for me to appear. I’ve never known anyone who welcomes people so generously that she cannot simply wave hello with her hand, but rather her entire arm, body and heart. In her warmth and enthusiasm, she beckons us all to come close, just as we are now.

She is a magnifier of talent, goodness and gentle company. Some may know her as the humble, jolly, doting woman that she is with a silver treble clef hanging over her heart. I am honored to know her as the kind of grandmother who travels cross-country to not only hear her granddaughter sing, but also be everyone’s favorite at the after-show party. I know her as the sweet, rhythmic hand that stroked my big Hare head when it got stuck in the bunk beds. I know her as a fellow sweet-tooth who makes the world’s best flapjacks and always has chocolate in the cupboard. I know her as the voice at the end of the telephone that coos in delight at any good news and makes every cloud have a double silver lining.

She is, to me, a daily reason to trust in love and look for that little patch of blue sky that she reminds us always appears. While we all will strive to be a little more like her every day, I also know that as I look up, that little patch of blue sky will now be more beautiful than ever.