Happy Birthday Granny Crawford

Today would have been my granny's 105th birthday. She was a true legend. She mothered 20 children and countless other strays who couldn't resist spending time at the Crawfords. Granny loved her "bairns" and "grandbairns" and was lucky enough to have been a "greaty" (great granny) as well.

 

She played cards, sang songs, held the end of a jump rope. Granny loved being surrounded by her family. And tried to give them equal time and attention. There are the legendary stories of her "going to do her messages" and not returning for several days, having hopped a bus to Carlisle to see her daughter or catching a train to Warwick to spend a week with her son.

 

And she loved to come to Canada. First for three weeks, then for six., and eventually for three months and then for six. When she came, she stayed with my aunt. But after about three days, once the visitors settled down and my aunt and uncle returned to work, there would be a knock in my mum's door, and Granny would be, with her suitcase in tow. "I cannae stay there"

Some said she and my aunt didn't get along, but in reality, the house was too lonely for Gran. Mum was home. And on the days she wasn't my dad was around. He came home for lunch every day and although he stayed less than 30 minutes, it was company for Gran and gave her something to look forward to. She fussed all morning making sure Tam had a pot of fresh soup for his dinner.

He was no sooner back to work and the house cleaned up and we were home from school. To a lovely we pudding to tie us over till tea time.

I was so fortunate that even though my granny lived in a different country, many many miles away, she was a huge fixture in my growing up life. I miss her wee face, her humour, her laughter, her playfulness but most of all, I miss her stories. I would love to sit at her knee and listen to her repeat those stories just one more time.

 

Happy Birthday Auld Yin!