Nancy

My mother-in-law, Nancy, has been a part of my life for just over 27 years (my husband  and I have been married for 26 but dated for a year and two months before we got married). She is kind, smart, witty, and likes to share special moments or events with her family.

I chose this particular mug to represent Nancy because she has a way with flowers—a green thumb—and a knack for landscaping. The colors on the mug are delicate, and I think Nancy is very delicate in some particular ways: she is highly compassionate; she is authentically sensitive and tender-hearted; she is graceful (particularly on the dance floor, but she also carries herself gracefully in general—and the “clutz” in me has always found beauty in that).

One of the first things I noted upon getting to know Nancy is that she and I are very different (my husband, Byron, is actually a lot like his mom, so he and I are very different as well). To name a few divergences: Nancy likes to sew (which I’ve never been good at or enjoyed), she likes dogs (I tolerate our cats and have never cared much for dogs), she likes to cook and is a regular Rachael Ray in the kitchen (I go in spurts, but it’s not one of my favorite things), she can dance (I was born with two left feet), and she is an excellent bowler (if the object were to get the ball in the gutter, I would be too!).

But, happily, we’ve also found our common ground. We both like the beach, we both appreciate good food, we both like chocolate (though Nancy moreso than me), we both like thrift store shopping, and we both love to play Scrabble. Nancy usually beats me in Scrabble (or its Facebook cousin, Lexulous), but I enjoy playing with her and we have lots of laughs in the course of a game.

Whether in designing clothes, painting, or decorating cakes (she even made our wedding cake!), Nancy is very artistic. She doesn’t sew now as much as she used to, but when the kids were younger she used to make special outfits for them. If I can get her to post the watercolor version she once did of a Van Gogh painting and a colored pencil drawing she did of a heron on a lake (the lake where she used to live, in fact), you will see what I mean about her artistic ability. She’s notably talented and should be drawing and painting on a regular basis.

Nancy is kind and thoughtful—always finding special jewelry that she thinks the girls might like, or things the kids are “into” at the time. Her kindness is not limited to family members though—she has spent a great deal of time crocheting hats for cancer patients and volunteering with the Florence Food Share. In the past, she worked with special education students through her local school district (Florence, Oregon). Nancy definitely has a heart for helping those in need. 

A big part of Nancy’s heart, though, is devoted to her family. She is proud of her three sons and loves to brag about her grandchildren. I was very happy to have Nancy around to help immediately following the births of each of our children. It gave us a chance to visit and also gave Grandma a chance to bond with each new grand-baby. Nancy looked for any and every opportunity to hold and dote on those little angelic bundles. As they got older, she enjoyed time with them in the pool, at the beach, or playing games. 

One of my fondest memories of Nancy and the grandkids is from when Kristiana was eight and Kalina four (I was pregnant with Josiah).  We went to the Lane County Fair. Nancy was patient as the girls wanted to stop and see just about everything there was to see, ride the rides, and…the grand finale, ice skating. Since I was expecting, I couldn’t go. Kristiana was a natural and took right off like she was born with ice skates on. Nancy had to help Kalina, who was clearly not a natural on the ice and kept practically pulling Grandma down with her. Another great memory is of a trip to West Coast Game Park Safari in Bandon. I think Nancy enjoyed holding the baby animals as much as the kids did! She is definitely a sweet-spirited person with a weakness for the cute and cuddly. ☺

Nancy has been very supportive of our (my husband’s and my) various job changes and pursuits over the years, always believing that we would excel in whatever arena we devoted our efforts to. Certainly, there’ve been some jobs in the mix that we either shouldn’t have taken or shouldn’t have stuck with as long as we did. But Nancy’s unconditional support and desire for the very best for us has been a steadfast encouragement.

Along with a soft heart comes a keen wit, which seems to be a family trait—Nancy’s parents can be credited with some hilarious one-liners and memorable catch-phrases. Nancy is also quick-witted and able to see humor in everyday events. One of her greatest delights is laughing when one of her sons (particularly Jonathan, who the family calls “Jamie”) is telling a story; she can’t contain herself, and it’s a true joy to behold.

It’s easy to see where our kids get a lot of their compassion and humor—and their intelligence has a great deal to do with Nancy too. A classic underachiever, Nancy is quite brainy. I admire her comprehension of political happenings, her ability to articulate her thoughts well, and her quick grasp of new concepts. I remember, in fact, the days when she knew hardly anything about computers. You would never know it now. She’s one of the most tech-savvy grandmas I know!

Nancy enjoys giving gifts and being with family during the holidays. In fact, to have the whole family together in one place for a special celebration means a great deal to her. She values each one of us and treasures our time together with her. If I had to identify a love language for Nancy, I’d say it’s probably “quality time.” Nancy doesn’t have to be doing an “activity;” she just likes having her loved ones around. 

I don’t know that I’ve ever told Nancy how much I appreciate her devotion to her family and her patience with us all, and how blessed I am to have been accepted into this family. I truly do appreciate all that she is and does for all of us. Nancy is a dear person with a lot of hidden depth, and I am proud to have her as a mom in my life. 

With much love, 

Teresa