“Baby It’s Enough of Waneda to Go Around”
My grandmother, Waneda Loretta Pittman (Neda) (May 30, 1933-May 2, 2015), kept us in church with her. She raised her household in the church and by using the strict rules of the church. Not only did we do work in the church, but we also had to represent the teachings my grandmother carried in her heart. One of which was that it was better to be seen than heard. We had to live by this rule both when at home or out in public. I can recall little sayings my grandmother said. One particular thing that she stated all the time was that “It’s always better to give than to receive,” whether it’s a word of encouragement, word of advice, something that someone may need or just plain love. She was so loving and so open to everybody.
We shared her love with so many people. The quintessential “giver,” she would always say, “Baby it’s enough of Waneda to go around.” She instilled in us the value of unconditional love. She taught us to not be afraid to say, “I love you!” It warms me that even today my kids always tell each other, “I love you” for no reason at all. They grew up around that. It’s nothing when hanging up the phone with a cousin for us to tell each other, “I love you.” It’s because we had a grandmother who always said it. We were taught to love, love, love!!! No one will ever go unnoticed or unloved around our family.
