What's In A Name?

Tomorrow I'm going to Oklahoma to visit my thirteen-month-old grandson. (While I'm there I will probably say hello to his parents as well!) He calls me GG; well, I'm sure he will call me such when he really starts talking. When he talks to me on the phone, in a language only grandmothers can understand, I'm certain he's saying GG.

In May of 2007 we found out about the expected grandchild. All of us were excited, since he would be the first one on both sides. We, the grandparents, were all asked what we would like to be called. I did not have to think about it at all. I would be GG. Now, my Grandmother Williams was very particular about her name. She must be called Grandmother, because Granny, or Grandma sounded like an old person. My own mother was the same way when my children came along, and her older grandchildren call her Grandmother or Grandmommy, and the younger set calls her Mimi.

Several years before I even had married children, I decided I would be GG to their children. I was playing in a tennis tournament in Brady one weekend. One of my friends that I had not seen in a couple of years was playing in the event as well. As we were catching up, she mentioned that she had been keeping her grandchildren. I'm not even sure how the subject came up, but in the course of conversation she mentioned that her grandchildren called her GG. "What does that stand for?" I asked. With a broad grin and a twinkle in her eye, Carolyn replied, "Gorgeous Grandmother!" Right then and there I latched on to "GG."

Fast forward several years. Today I was playing in another tournament in San Angelo, and Carolyn was there. I had not seen her since the Brady tournament. As we hugged, I reminded her of that story and told her I now had a grandson and I'm his very own GG. Laughing, she relayed the story of her own adoption of the name GG, telling that she had been in a grocery line one day having a conversation with an elderly lady. The woman told her of her grandchildren, saying they called her GG. "It means Gorgeous Grandmother," said the lady, having a similar twinkle in her eye.

Whatever my little grandson actually decides to call me will be just fine with me. I hope it's GG, since he will be setting the tone for all the other grandchildren to come. I would also like the opportunity to pass along the name to some other potential Gorgeous Grandmother out there somewhere. Legacy.....