With Milk and Sugar

My grandmother didn’t much care for the taste of Starbucks coffee.

 
In her hectic world of business muddled with CEO’s, managers, and higher-ups she preferred the comfort of Dunkin, a much cheaper option right down the street. A classy woman she was, a woman of comfort she was, a true New Yorker who stayed faithful to the customs of rejecting the west coast craze.

 

A large decaf iced coffee with milk and sugar. Simple.

 
Having the ability to continue to teach someone things after you’re gone only proves your life was worth living and that your legacy still carries, though you are no longer there to articulate your words and teachings. My grandmother, my Nana, was an exuberantly strong-willed woman who ran a household full of men. The world was at her fingertips; she did far more than expected for people who quite frankly didn’t deserve it.

 
She carried out duties no one would want to do. She worked long hard hours traveling, helping to provide for the lifestyle she wanted her children and grandchildren to have. She always wanted the best for my brother and I, she wanted to see us be happy and succeed. Nothing we wanted was too big or too much, and she did her best to meet all of our wants, needs, and desires. For that, I will always be grateful.

 
Nana is the example of God’s grace and love. How did she show grace comparable to the Lord? By showing up, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11) For Jesus to be who He was, he had to show up. Just as the angel of the Lord had shown up to reveal the news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds in the fields away, just as He has shown up in countless stories in the Bible performing many miracles, healings, and teachings. He just showed up; Nana just showed up.

 
Though my grandmother traveled for work a lot and I only saw her on the weekends for most of my childhood she still was there, she was still present in my life. Nana was one of the most intentional people I have ever met, striving to meet the needs of all those around her. She put thought into special occasions, picked out unique gifts, set aside one on one time with me especially (we were the only two girls on my dads side of the family, we had to stick together.), we had long FaceTimes and phone calls together when I got older and even more when I went to college. My grandmother, though she had faults was perfect in my eyes, she was beauty, and grace and oh so many more important indescribable things.

 
With all that being said, she was simple.

 
As simple as a large decaf iced coffee with milk and sugar.

 
Insignificant this may seem, but it has taught me that it’s quite alright to not go with the hype, to be different, to stay true and that Nana knows best, Dunkin Donuts coffee will always be better than Starbucks.