Nani and Little Bear: Quite the Pair

She's a real corker. And he's quite a little go-getter himself. But when they are together, they are magic.

At 80, she still gets around well enough to accompany one of her granddaughters on a shopping trip to Columbia or a doctor's visit in Sedalia. She spends a lot of time reading and doing find-the-word types of puzzles. She taps her foot along with the beat of the music when Marty Robbins' cowboy songs are playing on the stereo in the living room.

And -- at 80 -- she is still somewhat opinionated about certain topics. I guess she has earned the right to have -- and share -- her opinions about various things. She definitely has opinions about the fellow she calls "Little Man." He's just 13 months old, but they are somewhat inseparable.

When he goes to visit his other grandparents, she always asks when he's coming back, how long has he been gone and "Don't you think it's time for Little Man to come home?"

The good thing about their relationship is that the love seems to go both ways. He notices when she's not out of her room; he runs down the hallway and bangs on her door if she's not at her seat come dinner time; and he actually learned to "say" her name (Nani) quite early.

Many times, even if it's just Mom, Little Man and Bethany going somewhere together, Mom will ride in the back seat to keep Little Man company. And I think that "keeping company" goes both ways.

It's pure pleasure to watch them interact. I guess Nani Juanita and her Little Man (Isaiah) keep each other grounded in some special, generational kind of way.

And isn't that what family is all about?