Nana

My dear Nana, in her prime of her life circa 1940. Her father jumped ship while in the Swedish navy near Melbourne... he trekked inland and settled as a farmer in rural NSW where he met his wife. Had six children, all boys except for the youngest: Nana.  She grew up in the same area and had two son's one being my father.  Her husband died young at about 50 of a heart attack on a hillside while helping a ewe deliver a lamb.  She never remarried but remained always cheery and always helping people in some way or another.  She lived well into her 80's and provided so much stability for me over the years where often felt abandoned and misunderstood.  Always had a kind word, gentle encouragement, and a warm bed for me with freshly ironed linen sheets.  She was my strongest role model and taught me grace under pressure and a love of the simple things in life such as cooking and gardening.  I think of her daily and hope to follow in her footsteps of faith, self discipline and doing things with love.  I see much of her in my middle child and feel blessed to call her my Nana.