My Granny, Helen Shelton

3rd Place (Tie)

Asa Flowers

There she is burning out them ole’ wooly worms. Yep, that’s her, Helen Shelton, my granny. I have always called her Nanny. She is loving, assuring, and hard working. Whether she is shucking corn or picking up potatoes, she is going at it like fighting fire. She is so loving that she would get up at twelve o’clock at night and fix food. As a matter of fact she has got up many times and fixed me eggs. The only time she will fuss on you is when you do something horrible. She is always assuring even if a tornado was going to scrap the house right out from under us. She would always say, “It is all right.” That is why she should be the Kentucky Grandparent of the Year.

My Nanny makes me feel safe. I remember one time in particular. There were storms going on all day long. Nothing had been bad so far, so we expected it was all over, but it wasn’t. About 6:00 the tornado sirens went off. We jumped and headed to the storm cellar just as fast as we could go I was screaming and crying, but Nanny grabbed me and said, “It is all right, and we will be fine.” I calmed down just as soon as she touched me. When she grabbed me I went from a run to walk. We walked the rest of the way to the storm cellar. When we got in there she sat me down on her old worn out leg and bounced me up and down assuring me that it was all right. She did that all the way through the storm. When it was over, she said to me, “I told you it would be alright.” That is just one time when my Nanny made me feel safe.

On Christmas Day my favorite place to be is at my Nanny’s hours. Yep, you know why, because my Nanny is there. Our whole family comes to Nanny’s house every Christmas. We have the table full of food and most of it is my Vanny’s good old cooking. Every Christmas the table is so full with food you can’t even set a little inch worm in it. I always sit with my V, and she always gets my plate and fills it up just for me. Then she goes and fills her plate up too. Then everyone fills their tummies full. After everyone finishes eating we sit around and talk. At night everyone brings their gifts. When my aunt starts calling the names of who gets the gifts, Nanny and I sit down together. When Nanny’s name is called she always has a smile on her face. When she gets the gift open she says ”thank you” even if she likes the gift or not. That is why I like to be with my nanny at Christmas.

My Nanny has a very strong belief in God. She is at church every Sunday. She would be there if she was tied in bed. Every Sunday there she sits in the fourth pew on the left side on the very end, with her big smile. I always sit by her. When the offering plate goes around you can bet that she will put $10 in it. She isn’t rich, but she always digs up a little money to give. That is the type of person she is. When they sing, she is always the one that has the loudest voice and the biggest smile. When the preacher starts, she has her ears open as big as a shark’s mouth. When they go to the altar she is always up there on her knees praying. When church is over she always stays back until everyone is gone. I hope to be as big a Christian as she is.

I am so blessed to have my Nanny in my life. When I was writing this essay I realized that she is a bigger part in my life than I ever dreamed. She has done so much for me. I really don’t know what I would do without her. I would be like a chicken with its head cut off if I lost her. Even if she doesn’t win she is always the winner in my heart. I don’t know if she will win, but I nominate my Nanny for the Kentucky Grandparent of the Year.