I read a blog post this morning about finding yourself.

Having turned 50 not too many days ago, it struck a chord with me… It made me think of the times in my life I needed to find myself again. Not a “new self,” but the real me that sometimes gets lost in busy-ness of life and the opinions of the crowd and the pressure of calendars and things-to-do.

Living for half a century definitely gives you a bit of
perspective and makes you reflect on the things
that you were purposed to do and designed to be.

And that’s when I start thinking about this lady.

Nana Anne.

If she had a calendar in her home, it was to mark off days that had gone by rather than to tell her what to do next week. Nana got more things done before the sun came up than I could do all day long, but she never had a to-do list or a schedule, and you sure couldn’t pin her down to “every Thursday.” It was hard to pin her down to anything, for that matter, but she was always there when you needed her. She loved to go places on the spur of the moment, but somehow she was always home when you needed to raid her fridge for a piece of homemade pie. You were welcome to stop by even if her teeth were out. And there was always coffee. Nana never joined a club and never was on a committee, but she served and loved everyone she met. She would give you the shirt off her back, the food out of her cupboard, or the curtains off her windows if you had a need. And she’d beat you to the yard sales on Saturday morning to replenish her stock. Her theology was plain and simple, and only Nana could totally get away with having a sign next to her door that said “Jesus loves you” and another beside it that said “Be nice or go away.”

Because nice matters.

And Jesus does love you.

When I feel the need to get back to basics or simplify my crazy life or to get my priorities in proper order or deal with pressure to “do more” or “go more,” Nana is the person I think of first. She taught her kids and grandkids and great-grandkids the importance of being present. To enjoy every day and not rush around, ruled by a list or a calendar or the expectations of others.

She taught us to slow down and live life.