It’s hard to describe how much I miss Nana. She really was the perfect Nana. Even though she was born in 1917, making her a bit older than the Soviet Union and she was a teenager during the depression – I still can’t stop thinking about lost potential. Even though Nana lived a good 87 years, every single day with her was special and I think we all wish we could just spend a few more days with her.
Like the day last Wednesday, I was so excited that my girlfriend Abigail could meet my Nana before she died. And Nana was so happy to meet Abigail. It was just last week and Nana was all “gussied up” as she would say. She had her lipstick and her nice new dress. She was feeling well and was talking about finally getting a hearing aid.
Nana loved being with family. I think that they are remember most with Nana was Thanksgiving last year. It was the first holiday she spent in New York and many years. She was so excited to be there. There were even children who were related to her a Thanksgiving but she just kept introducing herself as Nana and I think really thought of every single child as her own.
But as much as we try to pretend, it was really her time to go. If it wasn’t, she would have told us. She never was one to be short of words. And we all know how strong she was. I remember last time she was in the hospital, unable to walk; she threatened to crawl out on her hands and knees if she wasn’t released that day. Or the time many years ago that she caught would-be car thief trying to steal her car and chased him out of the Kings Plaza mall and chased him until he returned.
I remember we were visiting her in Florida last year. We went to the mall and all of a sudden, she started crying. We couldn’t figure out what it was. And she said, “I have the most wonderful family. I just don’t want to be a burden.”
Sometimes I think that Nana didn’t want to be a burden to us by dying earlier. Nana said goodbye to me when she entered the hospital. At the time, we thought that we were going to lose her but amazingly she fought through. Every day since then has been a gift and it was a gift that she knew she was giving us even though it was so hard for her. On Sunday, I think she knew that were all at peace and ready to let her go and she could stop fighting.
Nana, just remember that we will always love you and we will miss you every day. We will always take care of Papa and make sure that he gets his hot dogs and chocolate ice cream because that’s his favorite.
My Nana, Florence Liebman, died on April 20, 2004.