Page 14 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Spring 2021 - Online Magazine

2
Barbara Bain
Happy Days
with Nana
by Raylee Bain
hen asked to talk about
an individual who has
Wmade an impact on
my life, there were a number of
people who crossed my mind, but
one particular person stands out.
Barbara Bain, Nana to me, has been
that constant influential person in
my life.
She was born June 27, 1938, in
Hale Center, Texas. She met my
“Poppy” when she was 17 and
married him when she was 19.
She and Poppy were married for
56 years, and she never passes
up a time to say, “Gosh, he was
so lucky, wasn’t he!” Nana and
Poppy had three children, and she
uses every opportunity to brag
about their accomplishments.
Poppy passed away in 2013, but
Nana made sure to carry on his
legacy.
She has never missed a Sunday
church service. She was an
elementary school teacher for 35
years, and throughout those years,
she not only taught basic learning,
but she also taught how to love
unconditionally and live each day
through Christ. Many remember
her words of wisdom. “If you
want something done right, with
time and effort put into it, then do
14 Amarillo Senior Link
Senior
Senior
it yourself.” Nana
lives by that maxim
well. “People will
and teaches it as
forget what you said,
people will forget
what you did, but
people will never
forget how you
make them feel.”
She has always been
the person to find
the positive in every
situation. She never
asks for anything
in return. All she
wants is to bring a
light into somebody else's life and Every day, people come across
to make them walk away feeling situations that demand a decision.
Not one day has passed that I don’t
loved.
ask myself, “What would Nana
The quarantine supplied many do?” Her wise ways of doing
happy days, believe it or not. Most things and her dedication in each
of those were times I could spend situation to whole-hearted effort is
with my Nana. From me doing her what makes my Nana so special.
hair, because she liked the way I Everybody says she goes the extra
styled it, to her teaching me how to mile; if she didn’t put her all into it,
bake, to me trying to teach her how
to work every source of technology it would never be good enough. I
she has attempted, there was never want to be like this every day. The
a dull moment throughout our impact it has made on me has been
quality time together. That 82-year- lifechanging.
old woman sure does know how Throughout my school career,
to make an 18-year-old girl laugh. I have always been active in
Her soft and welcoming voice feels extracurricular activities, whether
like home. that be on a volleyball court or
showing livestock show steers.
Nana has always been there with
the proudest smile on her face. It
kills her to miss any event I am
involved in, which shows how
much she genuinely cares for me
and what I do. It is so nice looking
into a crowd full of people and
seeing Nana’s contagious smile
supporting each of her grandkids.
Ever since I could remember, we
had “Nana Camp” every summer
with all eight grandkids. Nana
Camp was the most memorable
and cherished time for each of
us grandkids. It was the little