Eva Gherna - My Hero

She saved my life....When I was two years old my mother took her own life and my grandmother Eva stepped in without question and raised me. I had been living with my mom after her and my father split up. My parent were very young when they had me and my father had wanted a son and was feeling a little lost as far as raising a child goes. My grandmother only had one child - my father and came from a very poor, rough background with an abusive, alcoholic mother - they came over from Mexico to live in California in the 1920's. Her mother was very bitter and struggled a lot financially my grandmother often slept on the floor and was beaten. She had a brother and he was favored by her mother and was given all of the kindness. She some how grew up to be one of the sweetest most nurturing women I have ever met in my life and I truly do not know where I would have been today without the love and attention that she gave me. She showed me how you learn from someones mistakes..you don't have to repeat them. She was not your traditional grandma...she had me call her Nana because she said grandma sounded to much like granny and that was just too old sounding for her. She didn't like to cook and she didn't like to drive and she loved her cigarettes.She let me watch Zombie movies with her late at night and she always told me "Angie did you know....I love you as wide as the ocean and as deep as the sea" She would always apologize for not being able to bake cookies or pies like other grandmas and for not being able to drive. I would tell her that I didn't need her to do all those things because the ones she bought me from the store and Marie Calendars were great. As far as driving went as soon as my grandfather would head out to work she would call a cab and we'd be out for most of the day. We'd have lunch at Hinshaws or May Company and we'd shop, shop, shop. She loved perfume and she'd have me sample perfume for her tagging up my arms with multiple scents saying that they smelled better on me and she could get a better idea that way. I thiink I had more cologne than any 5 year old in California. We went everywhere in those cabs - off on little adventures. She took me to magic shows and to listen to musicians and to the park. She alway told me I was beautiful and intelligent and that someday I was going to really get somewhere. She had more class and beter social skills then any educated or wealthy individuals I have come accrossed. She would defend me, encourage me, laugh at my jokes, hang out with me and gave me the honor of her friendship. In her 80's she was found to have leukemia and then a few years later lung cancer...I was there with her those 2 hospitalized months at her side in the hospital, holding her hand talking with her..we told eachother how much we loved eachother and what me meant to eone another many times, I was able to hold her and comfort her so that she never felt alone and in the end I brought her home for hospice when they could help her no more. She told me "It's Always Been You and Me Angie" "We've Always Been There" I knew what she meant...she was still so kind to me even when she was so sick and suffering. I wish I could have done so much more for her. Given her the finer things in life. I spoiled her as much as I could but she deserved so much...and at the end she told me I had always been so good to her...Thank you Nana, You were a Saint an Angel and my best friend...I learned so much from you...you will always be my hero. I love you forever.