Namesake

My grandmother passed away this morning. Grandma Miller was my mom's mom, and the person for whom I'm named. Most people called her Margaret, but a few called her Maggie, and every time they did, it surprised me. My grandma had a fierce wit, sass to spare, and a general lack of concern for the opinions of others. As you might imagine, those were my very favorite things about her. She liked jokes and fun, loved jewelry, and had pristine hair and nails no matter the occasion. The phrase steel magnolia comes to mind.

I tried to find some great photos of my Grandma Miller, but the best ones are at home in NC. I'll be with them soon enough. I do have photos here that represent her perfectly, but she's actually not in them at all. Instead, the photos are of me.

When I was little, my grandma loved making me dresses, complete with detailed smocking, delicate embroidery, ruffles, and ribbons. Most of the dresses were red; my grandma knew even then it was my color. She entered some of the dresses in State Fair competitions, and won. Inevitably, she'd have portraits made of me wearing the dresses, and would mat them using the dress fabric. I'm the grinning kid in these photos, but she might as well be sitting beside me, smiling proudly and showing off a manicure that matched my dress.   

I'll be leaving soon to spend the week with family: telling stories, laughing, and eating some great food. All things that my grandma did well. I have fun stories I'd like to share here soon of my grandma in her prime - they feature laughing at men and boldly going where no local woman had gone before, so stay tuned. First things first.

Thank you for your name, Grandma, and for so much more. I'm a proud Maggie today.