Tag: Nana
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A ceramic Christmas tree from Nana taught me I was an adult
Nana was an old-fashioned woman. She was devoutly God-fearing, believed divorce was a sin, and had definite ideas of gender roles. She also had a strong tendency to see her grandchildren as small children no matter how old we got. Birthday cards from Nana were often ones more appropriate for a 7-year-old, but she sent…
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My top 10 favorite experiences of 2016
As 2016 quickly draws to a close, I need to stop and reflect upon the joy I felt this year. In fact, especially this year. By just about every measure, 2016 was a difficult year for many people. Generation X lost many of our pop culture idols; a presidential election went wonky at the last…
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Piano lessons: Although I quit them 32 years ago, I wish I still played
When I was 5 or 6 years old, my parents made me take piano lessons. The key phrase there is “made me.” Music lessons were not optional in my house. Properly raised children played the piano. Period. My mom had grown up taking piano lessons from my step-grandfather’s first wife (before she passed away) and my…
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Nana is gone, but she’s not forgotten
Five years ago tomorrow, on July 12, 2009, I received the phone call that I knew was coming, but was tough to receive nonetheless. Nana had passed away. Of course, I knew it was inevitable and would be happening within days, but I really hoped she’d make it to her 93rd birthday six days later…
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A Life That’s Good – Official Little Merry Sunshine Theme Song
In early March, I wrote a post titled “What’s Your Theme Song?” I’d been thinking about creating a theme song for Little Merry Sunshine and for me because ChicagoNow Community Manager, Jimmy Greenfield, posted the question on Facebook. In that post, I toyed around with the idea of A Bushel and a Peck because Nana…
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We never met, but my grandfather, Jesse Paulk, shaped my life
If I could meet anyone in the world, I’d choose to go back to before September 12, 1961 and meet my maternal grandfather, Jesse Paulk. September 12, 1961 was my mom’s 13th birthday and also the day my grandfather died. I was given my name, Jessica, in his memory. My mom’s brother also named his…
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Happy Memorial Day Weekend
I love Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a three-day weekend and the first work holiday since New Year’s for many adults. It’s the unofficial kickoff to Summer, although in Chicago this year no one knows for sure. It marks about three weeks to my favorite holiday of the year – my birthday. And, of course, it’s…
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Advice to new graduates: Create a legacy
My family has a three generation history of delivering commencement addresses. First, my Nana was the valedictorian of her Batesville High School (now South Panola High School) Class of 1933. In 1966, my mom delivered her commencement speech, What I’ve Willed I’ll Do, at Tarpon Springs High School. In 1969, her brother and my uncle…
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A Day in the Life of Little Merry Sunshine
Do you ever have “those” days? You know, those days when you’re kind of feeling a little blue? Where the blue feeling may or may not be based in what’s actually happening in the world, but where you’re only focussing on things that make you feel that way? Don’t lie. I know I’m not the…
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Do Not Hide Your Guns in Your Socks
I just saw a story on ABC7 Chicago about a woman sorting clothes at a thrift who was killed when a gun fell out of a sock. It absolutely breaks my heart that something so easily preventable just ended a woman’s life. It also breaks my life because this happened to me a couple of…
Jessica L Gardner 