Why Love
M a de Sp e c i a l For :
M a de Sp e c i a l B y:
Grandma
Colton
Gregory E. Lang wit h m e agan l ang
Grandma
To the best grandma in the whole, wide world!
Colton
O t h e r book s b y Gr e g ory E . L a ng: w h y i l ov e gr a n dpa w h y a s on n e e d s a mom w h y a s on n e e d s a da d w h y a daugh t e r n e e d s a mom w h y a daugh t e r n e e d s a da d w h y i c ho s e you w h y i l ov e you w h y m y h e a rt s t i l l s k i p s a b e at w h y i n e e d you w h y w e a r e a fa m i ly why we are friends g ood lu c k , gr a duat e b ro t h e r s a n d si s t e r s si m pl e ac t s l ov e sign s life maps t h a n k you, mom t h a n k you, da d b e c au s e you a r e m y daugh t e r b e c au s e you a r e m y s on
Why Love
Gregory E. Lang wit h m e agan l ang
M a de Sp e c i a l For :
Grandma
M a de Sp e c i a l B y:
Colton
Dedicated with love to Gloria Dianne Lang and Ann Hord and in memory of Annie Ruth Lamberth Brown and Mary Myrtle Jacobs Lang —Gregory
To Granna and MaMa for raising such wonderful children who are now doing their best to do the same for me. I love you both. —Meagan
Copyright © 2003, 2014 by Gregory E. Lang and Meagan Lang Cover and internal design © 2014 by Sourcebooks, Inc. Cover placeholder photograph by Olena Teslya/Shutterstock Internal placeholder photographs by Gregory E. Lang Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks, Inc. Put Me In the Story is a trademark of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. Published by Put Me In the Story, a publication of Sourcebooks, Inc. P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567–4410 (630) 961–3900 Fax: (630) 961–2168 www.putmeinthestory.com First published by Cumberland House, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Printed and bound in the United States of America LSI 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
· INT RODUCT ION ·
W
ith this book
Meagan Katherine and I celebrate the grandmothers we love and recognize them for the many caring gestures they have extended to us. We also celebrate the wonderful grandmothers we met along the way, those who provide continuous and unselfish affection, who welcome new grandchildren into the family no matter what their origin, who soften the hard lessons of life, who remember their youth and relive it when given the chance to do so, and who speak with a wisdom and understanding that enrich the lives of those who listen. With this book we hope to give grandchildren a special way to reach out to their grandmothers and speak to them of what is in their hearts.
—Greg
she takes time to let me learn at my own pace.
she can dance to my music.
she helps me understand my parents.
she brags about me all the time.
she remembers what others have long forgotten.
she has more patience with me than anyone else does.
she teaches me how to do things the old-fashioned way.
she is a safe spot for me to turn to.
she is the first one to show up for everything I do.
she makes every grandchild feel uniquely special.
she encourages me to be comfortable with who I am.
she teaches me to love nature.
she teaches me the virtue of being kind.
she can always turn a frown into a smile.
she teaches me to be grateful for what I have.
she encourages me to use my imagination.
she shares with me what took her years to learn.
she teaches me how to be a gracious host.
she teaches me to serve others.
she never thinks I’m too old to be spoiled.
she is the glue that holds the family together.
she teaches me how to bake.
she covers her refrigerator with pictures of me.
she never lets me down.
Nobody can possibly take Grandma’s place. What child doesn’t take delight in the way Grandma’s eyes light up when she sees you coming? To be a grandchild is to be first in line for attention and treats in the never ending embrace of her affection.