As a mother you strive to give your kids the best. Follow their interests, give them new experiences, challenge them, be their audience and set an example. We teach them, raise them, striving for well-rounded characteristics and give them a quality life worth being excited for. I think we can all agree we love spoiling our kids.
There are some things you just cannot give your kids and one of those is the gift of a grandparent. “Nana” we call her. It’s not material. It’s simple. Its time, a couple hours a week. Its slow days of just hanging around. Yearlong crazy eight competitions after school, meticulously keeping track of the wins. Getting on the floor and playing Pick-up Sticks and Uno. Getting post cards in the mail, with surprises inside even though she lives just a few miles away and you saw her that day. Digging out old treasures and keepsakes buried in a closet. Scavenger hunts, and after school snacks that a mom doesn’t approve of. It’s the unique touches only a Nana puts on holidays. It’s the routine of going to Nana and Papa’s house that cannot be messed with. They get a person in their life that knows their quirks, their passion of the week and catching glimpses and thoughts of what they see and process for the first time and being with them in those exact moments. Cancer is robbing us from our Nana.
It’s to know my kids, not just what they’re doing through a picture sent via text, its quality treasured time. A Nana is a true gift I cannot give or replace for my kids and my heart hurts.
They look up to her and I look up to her. Her long-standing friendships, her giving back to her community, and watching the caretaker in her. Her appreciation and value of the dollar. She does things silently. Persevering when things are tough. She’s quirky in her own ways. She lives by example, and there’s always a lesson to be learned. I cannot be more thankful for the simple but very impactful life lessons that my mom has given to me and my kids.
I will never know all the sacrifices she made for my brother and me, but I know we relate to motherhood and those sacrifices we give to our families. I am thankful for her support when I call on her for it.
I think about my future, how I will uphold the title of “Nana”? It’s another lesson that she’s silently mentoring and teaching me on, living by example and a visual she will leave behind with me, a gift that she’s passing down.
About the Author:
Kayla Romane (Dahmen) is a proud Spokane native who has deep roots in the local community. She currently serves as a program developer for STCU, where she brings creativity, dedication, and a heart for service to her work.
Kayla is the daughter of longtime Cancer Can't board member Rick Dahmen, and her connection to the organization runs deep.
The Dahmen family's involvement with Cancer Can't began during her brother Charlie's courageous battle with cancer, a journey that sparked a passion for advocacy and support within the entire family. Her mother, Linda, has been a devoted volunteer for many years, embodying the compassion and resilience that define the organization’s mission.
Today, as the Dahmens once again face the unimaginable challenge of another cancer diagnosis, Kayla’s commitment to the cause is stronger than ever. What a beautiful Mother’s Day gift to a Mom, Nana and overall amazing woman.