i chose the wine.

"I'm going to introduce you as my granddaughter today."

I heard this as I climbed into Ann's Oldsmobile this morning as we headed to her water aerobics class. My heart melted.

"Yes," I responded, "It's only right. It's too complicated to explain that I'm your grandson's best friend's girlfriend who has snuck into your life without permission and mooches off your home and food two days a week. Plus, I already claimed you as my grandma."

Today is Ann's 79th birthday. Ann is a woman with a heart of gold as big as the ocean. In her lifetime, she has taken care of 7 children and has taken in probably a dozen others into her home, including me over the past few months. As she says, "she loves young people," and you can tell when her face lights up everytime I walk in the door. For some reason, God has allowed me the opportunity to stumble into her life by way of my sailing/squatting boyfriend, and (although this is not the case) if the only reason he is in my life is so that I could know her, I count myself blessed.

As I looked around the pool this morning, I found myself surrounded by matriarchs (a royal description my mom uses to describe my real grandma and great-grandma). I was the youngest in the pool by several decades, and it was an honor.

I have always been mentored by some incredible women. I was raised by a strong and dedicated mother who has always been and will always be my foundation. I grew up around a sisterhood (my mother's sisters) of outgoing and passionate women who I know I can depend on if I ever needed anything. I am the luckiest because I grew up with my grandmother and great-grandmother intricately apart of my childhood and teenage years. At the end of this month, I will be celebrating my 24th birthday as my great-grandmother (Granny) celebrates her 99th birthday. In high school, I had a mentor (Julie) who inspired me to live and love passionately and think globally. When I lived in Dallas, I was blessed by two women (Rebecca and Terri) who invested in and cared about who I was and where I was going.

And now, I have Ann. It makes me miss the time I'm not sharing with my own grandmothers, but I am grateful for this North Carolina blessing because I can see myself in Ann's shoes 55 years from now. She and I share stories of the crazy kids we've loved, and she's giving me tips for healthy relationships and a healthy life.

My favorite tip thus far: "When you get old, you can either take a Valium every night, or have a glass of wine every night. I chose the wine."