I could have used an Aunt Thelma in my life. She sounds like a wonderful person. Love Ayah. Beautiful meaning and name. When I am blessed with grandchildren I will be Safta. It’s Hebrew for grandma.
My children grew up with Savta and Saba in Israel, and grandma and grandpa in the US. Now I am saba to my grandchildren, who call my mother savta grandma, kind of like grandma squared.
Oh, this was so precious to read! Congratulations to your family! And the photos are so cute!!
We call my maternal grandmother "Mimi". Where did that come from? No clue, I guess I just made it up when I was a baby and it's stuck. My grandmother was the first love of my life and EVERYONE knew about her- including my classmates and casual acquaintances, I talked about her so much. My parents were even a little bit jealous, they once said to me "Mimi this! Mimi that!" I remember the first time I met someone with the first name Mimi, my first grade teacher, I was shocked. How could someone else have that name??!!!
Mimi is declining with dementia now. It's been a pretty tough year, but this was such a warm reminder this morning, I felt it in my heart as I read! As a child she was my sun and moon, the world revolved around her and her love. It's a privilege to be able to give that back to her as she ages. How lucky are we!!
Thank you, Sofia, and thanks for sharing about your Mimi. My maternal grandmother was that person for me, so I completely get it. I think my mom envied my relationship with her a bit, too. Sending love and prayers to Mimi as she declines. And to you as you must see her struggle.❤️
Mar 18, 2023·edited Mar 18, 2023Liked by Holly Rabalais
Your comments about Hope brought tears to my eyes — my first baby, my niece, was also my introduction to something bigger than myself, and outside of the births of my own children, the day she was born was the best of my life. I became a great aunt two weeks ago (different niece, one I gained by marriage and haven’t known since day one), and it brought back all the excitement and intense love I’ve felt for each new niece and nephew, babies that were (and still are) somehow not mine but also mine. Thanks for this post, Holly — you captured something deep and lovely here.
(My kids call my mom Little Grammie. We think this began to distinguish her from my grandma — as in, their great-grandmother was/is the “big” grandma, making their grandmother the “little” one. From the very first moment, it stuck. They call my dad Pépé, which is what he called his French-Canadian grandfather. They call my mother-in-law Gran and my father-in-law Pop. There are no greeting cards for any of these names but I can’t imagine any of them being called anything else — they fit, full of love.)
“Little Grammie”--I love it! It’s funny how nicknames begin and just stick. My husband’s family is French Acadian, and his great grandfather was “Grand Père.” His family was a bit like mine in that all the grandparents were Maw Maw and Paw Paw...but adding either a last name or first name to distinguish which one you were speaking of when talking to someone else.
I refused to sleep with anyone called “Paw Paw” so Mike just goes by “Papa.”🤣
I get it -- my husband is from southern Indiana and there is a lot of Mee Maw (I have no idea how to properly spell this) and Papaw (he definitely called one of his grandfathers Papaw Miller). Here in Wisconsin there's a lot of Opa and Oma (German; grandpa and grandma). I think the regional (cultural?) differences are kind of fascinating.
Southern Indiana dialect always reminds me of the South! We also have “Mee Maw” here. My mom’s grandmother name is spelled “Mammaw” but the first syllable is pronounced like “Ma’am.” Not sure where that came from. My dad is “Papaw” pronounced like “pap paw.”
😆 It’s part of the Easter count down and is quite meaningful for us mums I think - a special day to pause and be pampered. I love to spend it with the kids and get my annual bath 😂 🌸
Absolutely!!! Unfortunately, it is a different experience for me having boys (I do not remember the last time they acknowledged Mother’s Day) and being a stepmom who has done a lot of the heavy lifting of parenting our girls while the bio mom is still in the picture. It can be a thankless job, and that’s okay. I’ve learned not to have expectations on this one day, and it has helped the day be a happier one!🤣
What a great post! I actually had an Aunt Thelma, nice lady, but not someone I spent much time with. My grandparents on both sides lived far away, so I only saw them a few times in my childhood before they passed. I hope to be lucky enough to become a grandparent. Love the name Ayah! Beautiful!! 💜
Oh my gosh, this is such a coincidence. I began a new part-time job at our local wine tasting room Rosa-Lucca in Cool. It's a small establishment and the owner Mickey only has a handful of friends and family who assist her on the weekends. I'm the newest person. There is already a Sue there. This weekend Mickey hosted a St. Patrick's Day celebration featuring a local a cappella group. I was working in the back with the other Sue. The subject came up that we needed to differentiate our names and someone said how about SueSue. Since I'm the newest Sue, I took the double name. And it already seems to have stuck because yesterday when I walked in, Mickey greeted me by SueSue. And I liked it. I'm going to keep this in mind, Holly. Thanks! 💜
Such a beautiful, beautiful, post, Holly - I loved every word. Ayah is such a beautiful name - and, indeed, identity. 😊
We had Granny and Grandfather, and Grandma and Grandpa. Many grandmothers over here are called 'Nanny', or 'Nan', but the 'Nannie' in our life was no blood relation; she was the family's nanny, employed when my dad's half sister was born. A half brother followed. Later, my dad was born on Nannie's 31st birthday, and she continued living with and working for the family until Dad was sent away to boarding school aged eight. She was involved anew with every time a baby came along for the next generation, too, and remained a much-loved part of the family for the rest of her life. She never married but always said she had three families: the one she'd come from, ours, and her church family. She and Dad absolutely adored each other. She died some years ago, on her - and Dad's - birthday.
How beautiful, Rebecca! Thank you for sharing this story of your Nannie. The wonderful world of relationships--all kinds--is just amazing to me. I love how we often find just what we need in the people we never expected.
Mar 19, 2023·edited Mar 19, 2023Liked by Holly Rabalais
Congrats on the new addition to the family!!
After my dad passed away, my grandma used to come and stay with us quite a lot. I never had a name for her, but everyone in the neighborhood called her "Rossini" after the Mrs. Rossini character on "Who's The Boss?"
Her real name was Rose, and she kinda looked like the actress, so it fit. When she passed away in 2021, people from the block still used that name in their condolence messages to me. lol.
My mom remarried right before I turned nine, and my stepdad was a wonderful man. I loved me and raised me as his own, which is something I needed, even though my biological dad was still around. My positive relationship with my stepdad also made me open to marrying someone who came with kids. That didn’t happen, though my husband had been married before.
As for me, I’m Auntie to a lot of kids, and I have a couple friends -- chosen sisters -- who are auntie to mine. “Auntie” came from my close friends from college who were Polynesian and from Hawaii. Growing up, “Auntie” is what they called their elders who were not related, out of respect (ie not using first names).
Very cool! Sometimes my nieces call me "Aunt Bunny" but that's only because a very inept clergyman jacked up the pronunciation of every. single. name. while reading my grandmother's obituary at her funeral. A cousin "Malarie" became "Malaria" and "Rabalais" was first pronounced "Rabbid" then "Rabbit." It was a train wreck with our entire pew shaking from stifled laughter. But I got a cool nickname. :)
Your sympathy is appreciated. As I say, there is a hierarchy of pain and that goes to the parents of murdered children. That is a pain I never want to know and it’s all too common with the gun violence epidemic in this country.
I just learned this morning of another family who is grieving a young life because of this very thing. Our tiny community holds so many who seek vengeance instead of forgiveness, and that has turned into a modern day Hatfields and McCoys.
"Ayah" is so lovely to say aloud. I don't imagine I will ever be a grandmother, and I'm okay with that. I am stumbling along through being a mom. I do love hearing the stories of others. It adds to my internal well of understanding, and it feels so good to me to feel happiness for others. It's part of my lifeblood.
And this is why our stories matter so much! I learned so much about experiences I could not have imagined as a child in rural Mississippi by frequenting the library and reading as many books as I could get my hands on. My grandmother also had a stack of Readers Digests and Guideposts magazines from the 1950s through the 1980s. I consumed them during our visits.
Oh, "yes" to the library! My grandma (whom I loved so deeply) had a stack of celebrity magazines from the 1960s. I had never seen such people and learned about the "lives" of the famous. What a funny thing to ponder now. At the time, I never questioned why she would read these. Now, I wonder, did she expand her "life" by reading about the lives of others?
Very sweet! I love how you weave through generations past and future.
Agreed!
Thanks, Don!
Oh I LOVE these baby pictures Holly. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
I recently ran across a video from my grandson learning to form bubbles as he said “Mama” as a baby. Such joy!
What a joy to have those memories and a video to look back on.
I could have used an Aunt Thelma in my life. She sounds like a wonderful person. Love Ayah. Beautiful meaning and name. When I am blessed with grandchildren I will be Safta. It’s Hebrew for grandma.
Safta is so beautiful! I had no idea that was the Hebrew word for grandma.
My children grew up with Savta and Saba in Israel, and grandma and grandpa in the US. Now I am saba to my grandchildren, who call my mother savta grandma, kind of like grandma squared.
Oh, this was so precious to read! Congratulations to your family! And the photos are so cute!!
We call my maternal grandmother "Mimi". Where did that come from? No clue, I guess I just made it up when I was a baby and it's stuck. My grandmother was the first love of my life and EVERYONE knew about her- including my classmates and casual acquaintances, I talked about her so much. My parents were even a little bit jealous, they once said to me "Mimi this! Mimi that!" I remember the first time I met someone with the first name Mimi, my first grade teacher, I was shocked. How could someone else have that name??!!!
Mimi is declining with dementia now. It's been a pretty tough year, but this was such a warm reminder this morning, I felt it in my heart as I read! As a child she was my sun and moon, the world revolved around her and her love. It's a privilege to be able to give that back to her as she ages. How lucky are we!!
Thank you, Sofia, and thanks for sharing about your Mimi. My maternal grandmother was that person for me, so I completely get it. I think my mom envied my relationship with her a bit, too. Sending love and prayers to Mimi as she declines. And to you as you must see her struggle.❤️
Your comments about Hope brought tears to my eyes — my first baby, my niece, was also my introduction to something bigger than myself, and outside of the births of my own children, the day she was born was the best of my life. I became a great aunt two weeks ago (different niece, one I gained by marriage and haven’t known since day one), and it brought back all the excitement and intense love I’ve felt for each new niece and nephew, babies that were (and still are) somehow not mine but also mine. Thanks for this post, Holly — you captured something deep and lovely here.
(My kids call my mom Little Grammie. We think this began to distinguish her from my grandma — as in, their great-grandmother was/is the “big” grandma, making their grandmother the “little” one. From the very first moment, it stuck. They call my dad Pépé, which is what he called his French-Canadian grandfather. They call my mother-in-law Gran and my father-in-law Pop. There are no greeting cards for any of these names but I can’t imagine any of them being called anything else — they fit, full of love.)
“Little Grammie”--I love it! It’s funny how nicknames begin and just stick. My husband’s family is French Acadian, and his great grandfather was “Grand Père.” His family was a bit like mine in that all the grandparents were Maw Maw and Paw Paw...but adding either a last name or first name to distinguish which one you were speaking of when talking to someone else.
I refused to sleep with anyone called “Paw Paw” so Mike just goes by “Papa.”🤣
I get it -- my husband is from southern Indiana and there is a lot of Mee Maw (I have no idea how to properly spell this) and Papaw (he definitely called one of his grandfathers Papaw Miller). Here in Wisconsin there's a lot of Opa and Oma (German; grandpa and grandma). I think the regional (cultural?) differences are kind of fascinating.
Southern Indiana dialect always reminds me of the South! We also have “Mee Maw” here. My mom’s grandmother name is spelled “Mammaw” but the first syllable is pronounced like “Ma’am.” Not sure where that came from. My dad is “Papaw” pronounced like “pap paw.”
Hearing "Oma" and "Opa" still trips me up. I've been up here long enough that it shouldn't, but here we are...
This is great. So many people have an Aunt Thelma and it is amazing to SEE them and finally see what the lesson was. Well done.
Thanks!
What a beautiful post Holly and in time for Mother’s Day here in the UK.
Ah! I didn’t realize Hallmark had suckered the UK into the holiday, too!🤣 Thanks for reading--glad you enjoyed it!
😆 It’s part of the Easter count down and is quite meaningful for us mums I think - a special day to pause and be pampered. I love to spend it with the kids and get my annual bath 😂 🌸
Absolutely!!! Unfortunately, it is a different experience for me having boys (I do not remember the last time they acknowledged Mother’s Day) and being a stepmom who has done a lot of the heavy lifting of parenting our girls while the bio mom is still in the picture. It can be a thankless job, and that’s okay. I’ve learned not to have expectations on this one day, and it has helped the day be a happier one!🤣
What a great post! I actually had an Aunt Thelma, nice lady, but not someone I spent much time with. My grandparents on both sides lived far away, so I only saw them a few times in my childhood before they passed. I hope to be lucky enough to become a grandparent. Love the name Ayah! Beautiful!! 💜
I have cousins with a grandmother named Sue. They call her “Sue Sue,” and it works! ❤️
Oh my gosh, this is such a coincidence. I began a new part-time job at our local wine tasting room Rosa-Lucca in Cool. It's a small establishment and the owner Mickey only has a handful of friends and family who assist her on the weekends. I'm the newest person. There is already a Sue there. This weekend Mickey hosted a St. Patrick's Day celebration featuring a local a cappella group. I was working in the back with the other Sue. The subject came up that we needed to differentiate our names and someone said how about SueSue. Since I'm the newest Sue, I took the double name. And it already seems to have stuck because yesterday when I walked in, Mickey greeted me by SueSue. And I liked it. I'm going to keep this in mind, Holly. Thanks! 💜
I love it!!!
Such a beautiful, beautiful, post, Holly - I loved every word. Ayah is such a beautiful name - and, indeed, identity. 😊
We had Granny and Grandfather, and Grandma and Grandpa. Many grandmothers over here are called 'Nanny', or 'Nan', but the 'Nannie' in our life was no blood relation; she was the family's nanny, employed when my dad's half sister was born. A half brother followed. Later, my dad was born on Nannie's 31st birthday, and she continued living with and working for the family until Dad was sent away to boarding school aged eight. She was involved anew with every time a baby came along for the next generation, too, and remained a much-loved part of the family for the rest of her life. She never married but always said she had three families: the one she'd come from, ours, and her church family. She and Dad absolutely adored each other. She died some years ago, on her - and Dad's - birthday.
How beautiful, Rebecca! Thank you for sharing this story of your Nannie. The wonderful world of relationships--all kinds--is just amazing to me. I love how we often find just what we need in the people we never expected.
Thank you for sharing your life with us in this beautiful way. Sending lots of positive vibes your way! 😀
Thanks, Punit! Definitely feeling them!
I loved this story Holly and the photos to go along with it. It warmed my heart! Love to you, baby Wesley and his parents, too! xoxo
Congrats on the new addition to the family!!
After my dad passed away, my grandma used to come and stay with us quite a lot. I never had a name for her, but everyone in the neighborhood called her "Rossini" after the Mrs. Rossini character on "Who's The Boss?"
Her real name was Rose, and she kinda looked like the actress, so it fit. When she passed away in 2021, people from the block still used that name in their condolence messages to me. lol.
That's so awesome--and it makes her sound like a total badass grandma!
My mom remarried right before I turned nine, and my stepdad was a wonderful man. I loved me and raised me as his own, which is something I needed, even though my biological dad was still around. My positive relationship with my stepdad also made me open to marrying someone who came with kids. That didn’t happen, though my husband had been married before.
As for me, I’m Auntie to a lot of kids, and I have a couple friends -- chosen sisters -- who are auntie to mine. “Auntie” came from my close friends from college who were Polynesian and from Hawaii. Growing up, “Auntie” is what they called their elders who were not related, out of respect (ie not using first names).
Very cool! Sometimes my nieces call me "Aunt Bunny" but that's only because a very inept clergyman jacked up the pronunciation of every. single. name. while reading my grandmother's obituary at her funeral. A cousin "Malarie" became "Malaria" and "Rabalais" was first pronounced "Rabbid" then "Rabbit." It was a train wreck with our entire pew shaking from stifled laughter. But I got a cool nickname. :)
My maternal grandmother was everything to me which is why I also write about her. That’s a special bond.
Having that is such a blessing!
“the murder of her biological mother”
Hope and I have this in common and I wish her well on her healing journey. This is a beautiful family narrative. Thank you for sharing.
How tragic and awful, Chandra. Sending good thoughts your way.
Your sympathy is appreciated. As I say, there is a hierarchy of pain and that goes to the parents of murdered children. That is a pain I never want to know and it’s all too common with the gun violence epidemic in this country.
I just learned this morning of another family who is grieving a young life because of this very thing. Our tiny community holds so many who seek vengeance instead of forgiveness, and that has turned into a modern day Hatfields and McCoys.
"Ayah" is so lovely to say aloud. I don't imagine I will ever be a grandmother, and I'm okay with that. I am stumbling along through being a mom. I do love hearing the stories of others. It adds to my internal well of understanding, and it feels so good to me to feel happiness for others. It's part of my lifeblood.
And this is why our stories matter so much! I learned so much about experiences I could not have imagined as a child in rural Mississippi by frequenting the library and reading as many books as I could get my hands on. My grandmother also had a stack of Readers Digests and Guideposts magazines from the 1950s through the 1980s. I consumed them during our visits.
Oh, "yes" to the library! My grandma (whom I loved so deeply) had a stack of celebrity magazines from the 1960s. I had never seen such people and learned about the "lives" of the famous. What a funny thing to ponder now. At the time, I never questioned why she would read these. Now, I wonder, did she expand her "life" by reading about the lives of others?