Letter from the editor: She will always remember I am her favorite

By Courtney Warren

I want to tell you about my favorite lady. 

I am not from Mississippi. I was born and raised in Georgia, and so, when I made my college decision to attend Delta State University, my grandfather’s alma mater, I knew I would be going alone. 

Or so I thought. 

My sweet grandmother, Cherry Davis, Grammy, moved from Georgia to Mississippi for three months by herself. She left caution to the wind and my grandfather at home - all so she could be with me as I started a super scary new chapter. She is a special lady, and I’d love to tell you all about her. 

She decorated the lakehouse in pink for my birthday, so I didn’t have to celebrate by myself. 

She made sure I always had clean sheets when I came for the weekends, she stayed up and watched reality tv with me for hours, and she made my favorite breakfast. 

When I graduated, she was right there. When I got my first job, she was the phone call I made as I drove to and from the newspaper each day. If I knew it, Grammy knew it, too. 

When Brett graduated from Delta State, we sat on the floor of the gym, because I was covering the event for the paper. I remember President LaForge telling everyone to hold their applause until the end, but Grammy and I each had an air horn. When everyone else chickened out, Grammy hooped and hollered with me as my husband crossed the stage.

When I went into labor with Nana, she came straight to the hospital. She did not leave my side the entire time. She was right there until Berit was placed in my arms. She stroked my hair, she called me beautiful, and she held my hand. I later found out that she did all of those things never expecting to get to be in the room when Berit was born. I still remember her face in those moments when she got to see her first grandchild and her first great grandchild. I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather have by my side. 

She calls me her “angel.” She answers the phone, “Hello, my angel, has anyone told you how precious you are? How absolutely breathtakingly beautiful you are?” 

She is breathtakingly beautiful herself. She was in the Miss Mississippi pageant many years ago and has always carried herself with the demeanor of a steel magnolia. 

She makes it very clear that I am her favorite grandchild. She also has always made that same sentiment very clear to my brothers – they were her favorite. She has a twelve-foot mantle in her greatroom that can be considered a hall of fame. Anything her children and grandchildren ever did was photographed, framed, and put on the mantle and hearth.

 I’d like to say the majority are pictures of me,  but there is a certain blonde grandchild that is starting to take over. Honestly, Grammy has a big enough heart that she can have multiple favorites. 

When my parents went through a difficult divorce, and her being my mom’s mother, I knew if sides were to be chosen, she would side with my mom. However, at all family gatherings, anytime we spoke, she asked about my dad. She asked how he was doing, please tell him hello, and she truly wanted to hear an update about him. Grammy’s heart is something special. 

I told a lot of those stories in the past tense. Grammy is changing as the days go by. She’s forgetting more and more. She’s talking a little less. This week, we will be moving her to an assisted living facility – a place where she can always be taken care of. 

Now, any family that has made this decision will know that it is never done lightly. It’s done with care, consideration, prayer, and even tears. 

She’s my favorite lady. She’s a lot of people’s favorite lady. 

Dementia is scary. Sometimes I have Grammy, and sometimes she gets confused - but all the time she is the kindest, most beautiful person I have ever known. She will ride in the car with mom and will point out how beautiful God’s birds are. She will sit in a chair and stare at Berit for hours on end, admiring her. She listens to every word I say, even if she can’t respond. 

There’s not a true point or “plot” to this column. Things are changing. And, honestly, I just wanted to tell everyone about my favorite lady.