“Nana, do you want to play with me?”  Four- year old Virginia asked the question, and I, of course, said, “Yes, of course I want to play with you!”   I lied.  I, who prides myself on never lying, lied to my granddaughter Virginia.  The truth is, while I love Virginia and her sisters, eleven year- old Mary Grace and nine year-old Elsie, I have never liked to play.  Unlike my friend Judy, who will stop what she is doing to play!  Judy is lots of fun, as is one of my other friends, MoMo.  They are both much more fun than me!  I have always been much better at working than playing, as I am sure the grandchildren’s mother and sister can attest. 

But play I must, since Virginia is in Raleigh for two weeks at Nana Camp while her sisters are at Camp Seafarer.  So I will play, read, take trips to Marbles Museum, Pullen Park, and other local places that are fun, entertaining, and educational for kids.  I will do it, and I will enjoy some parts of it, but it is not natural for me.  I am much better at cooking with the children, which they all love to do, making pancakes with me being their favorite cooking activity.  But I do not consider that playing.  Cooking is my realm, and I love to share that with them. But it is different than playing.  Cooking is kind of grown-up, even when kids are involved. 

Playing includes jumping on the trampoline, which I do, but do not really enjoy.  While I am out on the trampoline with Virginia, at 64 years of age, I think of my mother and grandmother, who both died at 64 years of age, and I can’t imagine them jumping on the trampoline.  In fact, I do not remember either one of them ever playing with me, or playing at all.  I get it.  The apple does not fall far from the tree.

Although I do not enjoy playing, I will play these two weeks, and I will be so glad for the memories.  For I am so blessed to have these grandchildren, so blessed to be healthy enough to play with them, so blessed in so many ways.

“Nana, where are you,?” Virginia yells.”  I am in the laundry room, and in the kitchen, doing chores.  Chores that can wait.  But playing with Virginia should not wait.  These are precious moments, and I do not want to miss them.

So I yell back at her, “I am coming, Virginia!  I will be there in just a minute!  Put your shoes on, so we can go outside and jump on the trampoline!”