Happy Valentine’s Day to all the grandmothers in our community!❤️

15 years ago, I was driving my son home from work when he turned to me and said – I have to tell you something, he smiled, paused, turned, patted me on my back, and says – Mom, you are going to be a grandmother!!

Looking back on that moment in time, I can tell you that it was shock and excitement all rolled up into one. A grandmother, really, wow, I wasn’t ready, for that, what did this mean, I was still so young in my opinion. 

But how quickly I moved into the role and embraced my firstborn son and my daughter-in-law in the excitement of their firstborn.

One thing I made them promise was that I wanted my grandchildren to call me by a memorable name, and the name I chose to be called was ‘Nana.’ I just loved the sound of it, and I bragged about it everywhere. Soon, everyone was calling me a modern grandmother – and thus, the name of this website was born… And 17 years ago this year, my first grandchild was born—a girl. 😄 

I learned what true love was when my son laid her in my arms.

There is nothing like being a grandmother – you know that saying – “when the child you love has a child you love with all that is within you, only then will you know just how grand being a grandparent truly is.”

Happy Valentine’s Day to You!

Cannelloni. My Grandmother’s Love Language.

I thought the "I love you" my grandmother gave me on Valentine's Day, prompted by our long pandemic separation, would be a one-time event. I was wrong. I call my grandmother all the time to talk about recipes.

She tells me she loves me nearly every time we speak—such a beautiful story.

READ JESSICA’S STORE HERE

And They Lived Happily Ever After

I love this story. After all, I am a hopeless romantic.

Last week, I invited my grandmother (GG) over for dinner to celebrate her 93rd birthday. That's right, at 39 years old, I have a 93-year-old grandmother, and she still drives. She also teaches water aerobics, plays mahjong, can kick my butt at Scrabble—every time—and has only been romantically kissed by one man in her entire life.

READ GG’s STORY HERE

A Valentine’s Day Love Story

On my bookshelf sits a tiny, silver-plated loving cup from the Detroit Post Office — the only souvenir from their wedding — treasured and re-silvered by my grandmother and passed down from my mom to me.

READ THIS STORY HERE