I want the Nanny Treatment

The sweet woman you see in this picture holding Eden who was only 2 months old is Nanny. (Helen Norred) She is the beloved grandmother of one of my dearest friends Sunni. I have known Nanny for almost 12 years. Today she went home to be with Jesus and see her loved ones that went on to Heaven before her. She was 89 years old and ready for home. I got the honor and blessing of being able to spend some time with her Wednesday evening. She was expected to go home that day but she had other plans. When I showed up at the assisted living facility I was ushered down to her room by the choruses of praise songs I love beckoning me there. When I walked in the room it was clear that this wasn’t a “death watch”, it was a praise and worship service. The worship team from Sunni and Rusty’s church (which includes S & R) were in her room praising our Lord. There were several guitars and Rusty had a ukulele, there was sheet music spread all over Nanny and her bed and there were several people singing . It was incredible. I went over to Nanny and bent close to her ear and when I spoke she responded slightly. I knew she knew everyone was there. When the guys would take a break from singing and playing…so would Nanny. When they would begin again she would slightly twitch and mover her arms and raise her eyebrows often..especially if she could hear Sunni on the high notes. People kept coming in to visit with Nanny and then Sunni broke out the pictures and photo albums. We all laughed and giggled and ooh’d and ahh’d over pictures both old and recent. Soon there after Sunni’s church brought in several spaghetti dinners and the assisted living facility sent down cookies and coffee…unprompted. I’ve never seen anything like this. It was how it should be, rejoicing over a sister getting to go home. And those that loved her didn’t stop until Jesus gathered her in his arms. I was told that many loved ones gathered around her bed this afternoon and said a prayer. When they all said, “Amen,” Nanny opened her eyes, looked around the room, closed them and took one more breath and then she went home. That is how I want to go out. Everyone is calling it the “Nanny Treatment”. We are joking that she would have gone on to Heaven sooner but she was enjoying the two day music festival in her room too much. She will be dearly missed.

I told her before I left that the angel she gave Eden Marie is one of Eden’s favorite items in the house and that we will always remember her until the time we will get to be with her again. Nanny felt a special connection to Eden because they share the name Marie, and she gave Eden a beautiful Waterford crystal angel..and it truly is one of Eden’s favorite items in the house. We have to get it out of the china hutch weekly for her to inspect it. She begs to hold it and Eric “helps” her do that…I’d kill him if he gave a Waterford crystal angel to a 2 year old to hold. I have so many wonderful memories of Nanny. One of my favorite memories of Nanny is at a sock hop we had at our church one time. She showed up in poodle skirt with little white tennis shoes and was precious! She danced the night away. It was awesome. I also love that she drove a Camaro….a nice one. And hands down she had the best Christmas letters of anyone I know. She typed them on her typewriter…seriously. Then she would have them copied and she would put Christmas stickers all over the margins; front and back AND on the outside of the envelope These had to take her some time. They were always so funny, Nanny had a super sense of humor. But more than that she had an incredible heart. She was a strong woman of faith and served in the Kiaros prison ministry I think since its inception, not joking. In lieu of gifts or flowers for her service she has requested that people support the Kiaros prison ministry. She gives and serves even after leaving this world.  She was an incredible woman, I was blessed to have known her. The world will be a darker in her absence and Heaven will shine brighter now that she is there. Blessings sweet Nanny we will see you again one day.