I Miss You a Little....

This Saturday would have been my Granny's 86th birthday. She may not be here anymore, but as we do every July 20th - my mom, sis, the kids & I will be celebrating it for her. Since she passed in 2010, we have always gone out to dinner together, but this year we opted to change it up to kind of a little pool party at my sisters house. And in true Marcella fashion, there will be purple everywhere. (And food, because I'm pretty sure if you'd asked her to rank her two favorite things in life, it would be Grandkids and Food.)

They say you never "get over" losing someone, you just learn to live with it, and if there's anything I've learned in the past 3 years, it's that is certainly a true statement. I'm not sure how I was so fortunate, but until I was almost 27 years old, I never had a "huge" loss in my life - which may have contributed to how hard my sister & I took my Granny's death. My paternal grandparents had passed, but I truly wasn't overly close to them, and that probably sounds terrible to say, but I simply don't have the memories that I do with my sweet Granny, who practically had my sister & I every weekend as little kids.

When I say my Granny was born to be a Grandmother, I mean that with every fiber of my being. Everyone that ever met her called her Granny. My sister & I were just fortunate enough to truly be her grandchildren. There was never a time where my Granny wasn't doting on us. Or smooching on us. Or buying us something. Or snuggling on the couch with us telling us a story. Or hugging us. Or showing our pictures to everyone - quite often on t-shirts she had made. (And I mean this...people from her doctor to her dentist to her landlord knew us by name and face, there wasn't a picture that woman didn't show off!) If there was ever one thing in the world I knew for sure, it was how much my Granny loved us.

Granny had the biggest love for Country Music. Back in the day, she and my Grandfather used to hit Fan Fair like crazy people and meet everyone. And it's in that aspect that I am most certainly Marcella's Granddaughter. Who would have thought all those nights spending the night at Granny's, snuggled on the couch, watching the Opry together on TV - would wind up being one of those moments I would cherish forever? Mom & I carried the love up a notch and not only became the rabid concert go-ers and fan fair attendees, but wound up moving to Nashville.

I mean seriously, that's my Grandmother hanging out with Roy Acuff. Yes, you can be jealous. 

It's with our love for the Opry that I have one of my favorite memories.  I took her to the Opry in 2006 to see Patty, and we left a few minutes early to get her out before the mob of people let out. As I turned and realized Granny was not with us, I said "Where the hell is my grandmother!?" And "Down there - she's stopping at every aisle to hug every usher on her way out." was the response I received. Only my Granny.....

I miss her more than I ever realized was even possible. But every night I pull out my record player & listen to some Ernest Tubb or Kitty Wells, I know she's watching over and listening with me. (And probably high-fiving my Grandfather for my kick ass taste in music)

I miss you a little since you've been goneA few little memories keep hanging onI miss you a little I guess you could sayA little too much, a little too often, a little more every day

Happy Birthday Granny....I love you!