Love You Nee Naw

My mind has been so full... so many thoughts bouncing around, and the only way to fix it is to dump it out onto paper, so here we go...
My great grandmother died on Sunday. She was born on June 20, 1908, to the late Albert Lee and Eulalia F. Watters. She had 3 daughters, 1 son, 21 grandchildren, 71 great-grandchildren, and 9 great-great-grandchildren. Quite the legacy huh?
It seems that when I find out that someone has died, the first feeling that comes to me is regret. I always wish I had been able to see them one more time, take one more photograph, send one more card. I wish Nee Naw would have been able to meet Maddi. We have amazing pictures after Drew was born of all 5 generations, and unfortunately Maddi won't have that same gift.
With my regret, I also have amazing memories to keep in my heart. I remember as a child going to visit her in Smyrna, GA. My grandma took me and my cousin to spend a few days there, and I felt so grown up on our girls weekend! While we were there, Nee Naw showed me things around her house... little trinkets and the family bible, and she took the time to tell me about each item... what it was, where it came from... I heard stories of people I never knew... people that had died long before I was born, but they became real to me through her stories. She fostered a desire inside of me to know more about the generations that had come before me. She helped me realize that I was here only because of the joys and struggles of my ancestors.
Nee Naw lived in Huntsville for a while, and I was able to visit her more often then. She always impressed me by being beautifully dressed with lipstick and pearls on even if she planned on sitting in her sunroom all day. I always admired her confidence, strength, intelligence, and whit. She was a firecracker, but she was also generous and kind, and helped me see through my mistakes to the beautiful potential that lay before me.
Nee Naw had a little tradition of making baby gifts. She made a blanket for me when I was born, and blankets for both of my children. I still have them all, and am so grateful for these special keepsakes. Now, I can still wrap my babies in her love when I cradle them to sleep at night. I guess mourning means being able to see through the regret so that we are able to cherish the memories of our loved ones. Love you Nee Naw.