I’m A Gandy! (Granny)

Yes! You read that correctly. Earlier this year, I became a Gandy. At least, that’s what I hope that my sweet little granddaughter and every grandchild after will call me!

I’ve had several months to think of what I wanted to be called, but honestly, I’ve been thinking of it a lot longer than that. Names are so important, and I wanted whatever name my grandkids call me to have great meaning behind it. If you’ve followed me for very long, you know that I am a lover of words. Words and Names bring great meaning and information about who that person is. I hope that each time I hear my grandkids call me Gandy, I remember to live up to the name and the example that this great woman who had this name before me set!

The Meaning Behind The Name

There is quite a bit of meaning behind the name I’ve chosen to be called. My great- grandmother was called Gandy. My father tried to call her Granny when he was a little boy, but all he could say was Gandy. The name stuck. When she was in her 70’s and in an assisted living facility, even the nurses called her Gandy.

I knew her when I was a little girl. There isn’t a whole lot that I remember about her on my own, but the family stories about her abound!!

She was funny. One story about her is that she was telling family members why she liked one church over another. She said, ” I like First Church better than the Leon Church because when I go to the Leon Community Church, by the time I stand up and get my dress pulled out of my crack, everyone has gone home.”

She was superstitious. She had to leave a house out of the same door she entered or she would bring bad luck.

She was loving. She was a loving mother and grandmother. When my mother married my dad, Gandy made sure to know that she was loved.

I could go on with stories that I’ve been told about her, but I’ll end with the sweetest story of all. When my parents met and were dating. They started telling each other about their families. My dad told my mom about his mother’s mother and said, ” You haven’t lived until you’ve met my Gandy.” Wow!!! What an impression she made on my dad. Isn’t that the greatest compliment we could ever receive to have that said about us.

I have no idea what my kids or grandkids will say about me if they are telling someone about me, but I just think that it will be fun to carry on the family name of Gandy!! I hope and pray that I can be half the Gandy that the first one was!!!

What Will Dr. T’s Name Be?

Dr. T is so in love with this little girl already! When he and I decided to see where our relationship would go, I was already thinking about my future grandchildren. My late husband would have been a wonderful grandfather, but they will never get to know him this side of heaven! I told Dr. T one day when we were talking about a future together that I knew he would make a great grandfather. I would not have married him if he wouldn’t. Very few people could fill the shoes of my late husband in being a grandfather, but I know in my heart that Dr. T can.

He doesn’t care what he is called. He’s so happy he gets to be part of these kids’ lives that his name is the least of his concerns. I, however, feel that names are very important!! I would like for him to be called “Papa.” Papa is such on old fashioned name. It’s what my grandmother called her father.

We have other relatives on our family tree that were called Papa- like Papa Hurst, a man of great Christian faith. My grandmother always had this painting in her dining room because it reminded her of Papa Hurst and all the times she went by his house in the evenings and saw him sitting at a table reading his Bible.

I have this painting hanging in both my houses because it reminds me of the legacy of faith from my family! I got my grandmother’s that hung in her dining room. It hangs in the dining room in Texas. I bought one HERE, and it hangs in our New Mexico home.

I also love that Hemingway’s nickname was Papa by his choosing. Dr. T has a Hemingway vibe!

My granddaughter’s name is Wren. She’s my little songbird. When investigating her name, I found this… “in Celtic folklore wrens were often associated with poets, songwriters, musicians, and writers thanks to their lilting songs.” Of course, you know that the thought of her being a poet, musician, or writer thrills my heart to no end. So I think it’s appropriate for her to call her grandfather Papa!!

So there you have it! I’m a Gandy! I love to hear what others are called by their grandkids. What are you called by your grandkids? Is there special meaning behind the name? I’d love to hear all about it.

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