My beautiful grandmother turns 100 today! How amazing is that?! I need 100 more years with her. That’s for sure. I know that’s not possible but…… today is about celebrating how awesome she is….

Fun fact: up until a few short years ago, we celebrated my grandmother’s birthday on September 7th. Then I found out that her birthday is actually August 7th. I thought there was some kind of discrepancy with her birth certificate or something and that was the reason we all thought it was in September. Nope. I just found out that the reason we celebrated it in September is because she hates August. Yup. That’s right. She hates August. Who does that?

At 100 years old, my grandmother still has her faculties. She forgets stuff and repeats herself – a lot – but her memory is intact and her sense of humor is still wicked. Her body is frail and tiny but she still has an incredible head of beautiful grey hair. She tells me stories, many that I have never heard before. Things about her parents, her childhood etc. She also likes to tell me about when I was little and what a pain in the ass I was. When we lived in West Hempstead she lived upstairs in our house. My siblings and I would spend so much time up there with her. Well, she had these little pieces of soap that were shaped like little flowers that she kept in her bathroom. They were for show. Apparently I liked the way they smelled so I would use them all the time and she would catch me and get so mad. Sounds like me.

She also told me a story about one of her sisters who used to watch the 3 of us kids. She was an intimidating woman–to a kid, I guess– and she made my brother cry one time. Well, apparently, I was a tough little thing and went right up to her with my finger and said, “you made my brother cry, I’m telling my mother”! She was stunned that I wasn’t afraid of her. Again, sounds like me.

I remember every summer getting to spend a whole week with my grandparents. We all got a week each with them. Best week ever. There is nothing better than a grandmother’s love. I remember feeling……. important, significant, loved. It sticks with you as you grow older. I can still feel it when I see her or talk to her. Nothing like it. Nothing better.

As an adult, I would drive out to Ridgewood with my kids, my sister, my niece and my mother to spend the day with my grandparents. My grandmother would always make her famous potato and egg and pepper and egg omelets. OMG were those delicious. Sometimes, if we were really lucky, she’d fry up some eggplant too. I’m so hungry right now just thinking about it… She’d also make pasta for the kids which Nicole always called “Nanny pasta”. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a time machine right now…..and some fried eggplant…

I’d argue with anyone who would dare to challenge the notion that my grandmother is the best grandmother ever. Sorry, you’d lose that debate. Although I’m 52, she still makes me feel like that kid who looked forward to that week with her every summer. That kid who felt like she was the most important kid in the world for a little while. That kid who is loved unconditionally by the most amazing woman she’ll ever know.

I love you more than any words could ever adequately express. Happy 100th Birthday, Nanny…..

Love you forever,

Your sassy little pain in the ass,

Donna