NANAS - SLOW WISDOM FOR GRANDIES…
Missy K in Athens (Last years’ Summer trip with fam)
I was in the Salon (as we girls tend to be regularly these days) last week and met the cutest Nana/Grandie pair. Mom was on a “college viewing” trip with her older daughter and had Nana come and stay with the younger daughter for a week. The fun was in full swing - we immediately got down to Brunches at The Broadmoor and what THE most important aspect of proper Brunching was to be. IYKYK! The Brunch goes on for rooms and the food is amazing. Nana quickly said “Dear, you DO maximize your Mimosas, don’t you?” I was laughing so hard - there may have been a snort or two. Needless to say, we quickly exchanged phone numbers and I will be looking her up later this month.
The best part of this meeting was that she was sneaking new highlights for her grandie - Mom didn’t have any clue and Nana was CERTAIN Mom would “just love it”! Everyone was giggling and “getting away with it”.
The point I’m making is that every young girl needs a fun Nana. Period. NO discussion.
So I thought I’d use Missy K as a source and ask her for her opinon. We were attending Theater for Phantom with her Mom - here is what I learned.
WHY NANAS MATTER SO MUCH FOR YOUNG GIRLS:
Emotional anchor: Nanas often provide steady, unconditional love that helps girls with emotional stability and resilience.
Intergenerational wisdom: Stories, life lessons, and family traditions passed down by Nanas teach values, perspective, and coping skills that peers cannot provide.
Models of Strength: Nanas model perseverance, independence, and creativity - showing grandies realistic examples of aging with purpose (or, what a troublemaker looks like at 70).
Keepers of the family identity: Nanas preserve languages, recipes (or, where the best take out is…) and histories that give grandies a sense of belonging and identity.
Just Plain FUN: Missy K felt the very best thing was that Nana could be counted on for senseless (her mother’s term) shopping or a day at the spa when boys are just bugging you too much! Or, those secret driving adventures before it’s really legal! Shhhh, don’t tell Mom.
HOW TO CELEBRATE AND STRENGTHEN THE BOND:
Often, as these grandie gifts get older it get a bit more challenging to score time on the calendar - make sure you schedule one-on-one time. Make them short, consistent interactions rather than rare big events.
Record stories - video interviews to tell stories and preserve Nana’s stories.
Create a shared project - cookbooks (or catering lists), photo albums, or garden builds teamwork and memories.
Pass down traditional intentionally - Explain meanings, not just the actions, so grandies know context.
Let Nanas teach skills so grandies can follow and learn.
Overall, the takeaway is: To think of your Nana as a living record and very soft life-coach: she offers slow-cooked wisdom in a very fast-paced world. It’s not just nostalgia - it’s an emotional infastructure building a confident young woman!
Wishing you lots of Nana Moments!
