My 90 year old Grandma was renamed Big Mama, probably around the birth of her third great grandchild. She rushed to the hospital after news of the birth of seven out of eight of her great grandchildren (the eighth was born out of state) reached her and quickly confiscated the new bundle practically until they went home. Then afterwards, she made daily visits to snuggle and bark demands about keeping the baby “double warm” and ultimately whisking the baby away…because no one can do it like she can.
Stone Mackenzie was the lone grandchild to not have the pleasure of meeting Grandma at the hospital, way back in December. My family had the opportunity to meet this sweet little guy earlier this week, when we flew to North Carolina to visit my sister and her family. While we were there, my sister kept talking about coming home to Connecticut for Easter. “We could drive…” or “Maybe we can find a cheap flight…” When we said good-bye on Tuesday, I still wasn’t sure if we would be seeing my sister and her family again in the next week or if we’d have to wait months.
By Friday, there still was no verdict, but it looked like a visit wasn’t likely. That’s when my phone rang and “Gram” lit up my screen. I answered, bracing for the difficulty of a phone conversation with my Grandma. Between her broken English, her need to talk more than listen, and her hearing, it’s always an adventure. “I feel like I will pay for Deanna to come home. Can you get tickets from your house? I can bring you my credit card. I’m the only one who hasn’t met the baby.”
Silence.
“Uh. Sure, Gram. Let me call Dee and see what she says.”
So the next few hours were filled with phone calls, back and forth between my sister and my Grandma. Ultimately, she gave me her credit card number, over the phone…let me tell you trying to explain to her where to find the three digit security code on the back was quite the challenge! Flights were booked and the next morning, Big Mama got to meet baby Stone.
All is right in the world now.
Where There Is Joy 
Beautiful story told with just the right amount of history that built the appreciation for the moment to be right with the world! This story warms my heart! Thanks for sharing!!
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What a special moment for everyone involved. I am pretty impressed with Gram!
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Love the way you wind in just a few details to add to the story– the security code, the broken English, the age of your grandmother, the barking orders. We get such a sense of who she is from those details so that the ending picture and resolution matter that much more. I’m glad she did that and that your sister went along with it. Says a lot about your family and what matters.
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Happy ending. She sounds like quite a character. My mom is pushing 90, but no great grandchildren yet. I love the part about “no one can do it like she can.”
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What a wonderful story! Big Mama needed that baby; I can see the joy in her face in the photograph. And I think the baby needs her too. Tradition and joy at Easter; what’s a better time?
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Beautiful story. I can just see “Big Mama” taking charge over all of those new little ones and the joy in her face when she finally sees # 8
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How wonderful that Stone met Big Mama! That photo is everything!
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Wonderful story of joy and family! Thanks for sharing this special moment.
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This is beautiful. It brought tears to my eyes.
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What a sweet treat!
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You sketch a wonderful portrait of your grandmother with well-chosen details and memories. You’ve really packed a powerful punch in this slice. I actually had to go back and re-read – how can it be so short when I feel like Big Mama is drawn so well? Great writing here. And that picture – love it!
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How fortunate you are as a family and accepting our each other. A week full of family love.
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