The Greatest Woman I've Known
For those who don’t know I lost my grandmother, Mawmaw, a couple weeks ago. It has been vey hard to loose someone that is a piece of you.. Holidays will no longer be the same, the place that felt like a landing spot for our whole family is now different without her, her kind words and laughter has all gone to heaven. The whole thing sucks to be honest. As I got home from my busy life and work I laid down with my youngest son napping and my Maw Maw came across my mind and a situation that happened when I lived with her ran across my mind that I felt the need to write, so here’s my Maw Maw story.
When I was 19 I was staying with my mom and just graduated from dental assisting school, I was working a car dealership and not having any luck finding a job. One day my mother and I got into a disagreement and me being 19 and thinking it was my way or the highway I decided to move next door to my Maw Maw’s, I walked over there and said “ Maw Maw, Can I stay in your free room since me and my mom aren’t getting along?” without hesitation she said “sure!” so I packed my bags and walked next door to live with my sweet grandparents. Soon after moving in with them I find out I was pregnant, I was young and scared and not having a quite clear path in life. After breaking the news to my understanding mother and …. not so understanding dad, I decided I wasn’t ready to tell my grandmother for few days since it was hard to process everything. Well one day when I was sitting with her in the living room Maw Maw kindly said “ Well, Jennifer.. Is there something you wanna tell me?” ( which she already knew ) and I with a nervous smile said “ummm… yes Maw Maw, I’m pregnant but I’ve been nervous to tell you” and Maw Maw said “Well there’s nothing to be nervous about” .. My Maw Maw was the most understanding and non judgmental person i’ve known.
A month or so later and still living with my grandparents I went out to eat with a friend and came back home. After resting in the bed I had to an urge to go to the restroom.. I got up and went and then noticed as I was going I started to feel really weak and to where I needed to lay down right then.. I didn’t even have a chance to pull up my pants.. with whatever energy I had left I called out for my grandmother to help me “MAW MAW, MAW MAW, MAW MAW” and then I passed out. I don’t know how long I laid there but all of the sudden I heard my grandmother and her exclaim “Jennifer!, what’s wrong?!” I said “ Maw Maw, I can’t see you!” she said “What do you mean you can’t see me?”. and she proceeded to pull up my pants for me since my grandfather came in to see what was going on and she gave me the biggest wedgie and then she ended up throwing a towel on me,, lol so lovely . My eyes were open but I couldn’t see her. I ended up getting an ambulance ride to hospital where they said I had some kind of stomach bug and I was super dehydrated and luckily my baby was fine! -Thank Jesus and thank my sweet angel Maw Maw for being there for me. - While at the hospital she came to visit me and gave me these granny panties since my last ones she pulled up for me didn’t cover my butt enough lol.
I always think back to that little scary moment and think what would’ve happened if she wasn’t there and i’m forever grateful for her and my grandparents for opening their home for me when I was a wild young adult when they didn’t have to.
In Honor of my sweet Maw Maw, Jean Ancelet. You’ll forever be in my heart.
