Throughout our lives, the most fortunate of us have those few people that are always there for us. They are there for us in our worst times and best times. They are there to walk with us on our journey and bless us with their advice, patience, support and love. My nana is one beautiful person who has been there for me since the very beginning.

Dear Nana,

I think it’s safe to say that you were my first best friend, even though I didn’t call you that until I was much older. I began having sleepovers at your house when I was five years old and oh my goodness, the fun that we had! You always had crafts for me to do. You helped me practice writing my name and allowed me to cover your fridge with all my drawings and coloring pages. On special days you even let me wear your painting shirt and use your fancy paints to make even better art projects. I look back on all of our play dates and I am amazed by the abundance of patience you had for me and I am so grateful for all the time you spent with me as a little girl.

Now I am much older than five but I continue to appreciate your presence in my life more and more everyday. I still love having play dates with you and I look forward to every opportunity I have to bond with you over our mutual love for cute movies, artsy crafts and thrift shopping.

You are the best listener in the world, which I appreciate more than words can describe. I can tell you absolutely anything, so our conversations are never boring. You are always up for hearing about my love life (or lack thereof), my funny stories about my college friends, my embarrassing moments that I will never live down and my deep thoughts about the world. You let me rant about bad situations and give me the best life advice. You tell me your own experiences and tell me exactly what I need to hear when I need to hear it. You have taught me to think, think, think and then speak and your saying, “You don’t know until you know” has gotten me through more situations than one.

You are my biggest fan (I don’t think you’ve missed anymore than three dance performances in my entire sixteen years of dance) and you support all my big dreams and schemes, no matter how crazy they are. You’re always there to encourage me to do the things I love and, conversely, you challenge me to have a positive attitude about the things I don’t necessarily enjoy.

You have shown me what it is to be self-sacrificing, generous and hardworking and your unconditional love and joyful disposition continue to inspire me. For all of these things and more, I am eternally grateful to you.