Grandma's rock. Whether you call them Grandma, grammy, nanny, nan, or whatever else, they’re awesome. They are like a mom but better.
When you’re having a bad day and you need to talk to someone that isn’t involved in the situation, a grandma is the best place to go. They give you their seasoned advice; they aren’t going to say your parent is right ever. If you have a fight with your mom, they will never defend your mom because they’re probably having a fight with your mom too. If you're sad, she is always a shoulder for you to cry on.
Grandmas also make sure you are never in need of anything. My grandma always comes to my house with snacks. The very few times she has ever come to my house without some type of candy, cake, chips, or any other snacks, she always apologizes. Even when I don't want to try those new Chili M&Ms because chocolate and chili sounds disgusting, she insists. So we sit down and sample different new candies and snacks.
Grandmas always look out for you. If someone is being mean to you, they will have no problem getting in their old Buick and driving to their house to yell at them. They don't want you to deal with any pain or suffering.
They are also super funny. My grandma rides the city bus and there is a lesbian couple that rides also. She is one of the most Christian people I know. "I like them even though they're lesbians," and "I don't care who sleeps with who." My favorite quotes of all time. She always says she doesn't understand because they wear boy shorts and hats but they paint their toenails pink and wear flip flops. We have a conversation about this all the time. Her old-time ignorance is the best thing. She might not understand, but she doesn't judge them. At least not out loud--she probably prays that they'll be straight every night before bed, though--but how could that not be amusing.
They also have some opinions that are completely opposite of yours. Like my grandma used to hate Donald Trump when he was mean on his old TV show, but ever since he got prayed for on TV she thinks he will do the best things ever. Like getting rid of those pesky Mexicans that can't speak English, but they use all of our welfare so the government taps into the Social Security that she lives off of. Just because those silly Mexicans.
But the worst thing about grandmas is that they are old. They start to get health issues, like cancer, dementia, arthritis, and other things. It makes being a grandchild so difficult because when you go visit, they struggle to get out of their armchair. Seeing them physically in pain is one of the worst things to see. Or seeing the pain in their eyes as they try to remember your name, but they can't seem to remember and they knew it last week. Seeing them suffer is probably just as hard on you as it is on them.
Even worse than them just having the health issues is when they are dying from them. The pain of knowing this might be the last time you see your nanny might be the hardest thing for you to deal with for years. Seeing your grandma, the one that loved you so dearly, the one you thought you couldn't live without, in a casket at her funeral. The worst.
Whether or not you always agree with your grandma or not, you can always appreciate their blunt honesty, snarky comments, and overall love and adoration for you and your siblings and cousins. They are, by far, the best people that have even been.
