From Celebration of Nan's life on Saturday, Jan 5th, Shallowford Presbyterian.

Good afternoon and thank you for being here. My name is Christina Cotsakis Cordón and I am one of Nannie’s grandchildren. Fair warning: I am a crier.

Hebrews 13:2 says, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Someone gave a plaque with this verse to Nannie and Papa that still hangs out on the porch, and this is truly how Nannie lived her life day-to-day. She had a “carpe diem attitude” and never failed to show good, old-fashioned Southern hospitality to family, friends, and strangers alike. She would host people on short notice and would go into what I call “party prep protocol” in the blink of an eye. I don’t know whether “party prep protocol” was more of a science or an art- all I know was that I couldn’t keep up with the whirlwind of flying napkins, filling glasses, plating appetizers, lighting candles, tidying up and a million other things I would forget if I ever tried to execute “party prep protocol”. The result was always quality time with people, of course.

I had the privilege to live with Nannie and Papa for a bit while I was in my late teens and early twenties, and they made their home my home. This meant dealing with my mess, my cat, my friends, and my strange affinity for evening jigsaw puzzles that overtook the living room while they played with their iPads and gadgets. It also meant staying up way too late to talk with me about theology, politics, relationships, school, and the future. She has always been nurturing with us as grandmother, and has served as a second mom to me. Nannie embraced having a young adult in the house and has always had an incredible ability to connect with us young folk. I’m proud to have had the coolest grandma of all of my friends. I will also note that Fluffy, my cat at the time, was happy that I had a grandmother that would sneak her whole cans of tuna.

When I asked my cousins what words describe Nannie most, the most common was “caring”. Nannie showed her care for us in many ways. She took us to Fernbank or to get our nails done. She was a cooking fiend and made our favorite meals when she knew we were coming by. She welcomed our friends and significant others into her home. She has supported all of us in working towards our dreams. I know I would not be a School Counselor now if it weren´t for the encouragement and support of Nannie. She has showed care by living out her faith, supporting others who need it. She has showed care through her generosity to family and strangers.  

Nannie was also an advice giver. She was knowledgeable about the world, current events, and most helpful to me, social conventions. This whole “Nannie dying thing” has been so much harder because I haven’t been able to call Nannie every two seconds to ask where the line between helpful versus annoying is, to check whether or not an olive green dress is appropriate memorial attire, or to get an opinion about what the socially acceptable way to begin and end a reflection for a memorial is.

Since I really don’t know the appropriate way to end whatever this thing is, I’ll end by saying that we are all so lucky to have experienced Nannie’s joyful spirit and to continue living with the same enthusiasm that she did. Thank you again for being here.