Legacies

There are many lessons I learned from my grandmother, Gran Anne. One of the most remarkable things that I have inherited from her is a love of sports. Granted, she did not grow up in a time and place where it was acceptable for her to compete - so I have no idea what that would have been like. Gran Anne did remain fiercely loyal to her favorite teams, mainly - the University of Tennessee, where my dad attended. Whenever UT games were on TV, you could guarantee that her shouts of "Whoopeee" and "Weeee!!!" would resonate throughout the house.

On Sunday, a friend gifted me two tickets to see the University of Tennessee play the University of Texas in women's basketball. Gran Anne had lots of favorite teams and players, but near the top of her list was Pat Summitt. We had many conversations about her winning record, and the battles she fought to be a respected female coach. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the awe I felt watching Pat Summitt yesterday, knowing that it was directly attributable to Gran Anne.

The best part of the whole experience was getting to share it with one of my favorite six year olds. He'd never heard of Pat Summitt, so I got to share bits of the coach's story with him. Gran Anne's legacy reaches yet another generation. "Weeee!!!" Go Vols!