Time seems more fleeting with every passing day. I watch a cloud pass over the bright sky and reflect on a sweet beautiful woman that left this earth yesterday. “Nani” Carol Moriarty to this day challenges my memory as the kindest and most caring person I have ever known, albeit my own grandmother, Ellen Rossignol who passed at 93 in 2011. Nani or Nani bird is Jason’s last surviving grandparent, matriarch of the Moriarty clan. She was adopted and raised in Massachusetts. Met her husband Frank (Pap) Moriarty at a young age, and they had three children, Eileen, Frank and Tommy. Eileen is Jason’s mother, the oldest of the three. When the kids were school age, they moved from Springfield Massachusetts to Maryland/D.C. area. Nani raised three children, worked and retired from General Electric. Upon retiring, they moved to Northern Neck of Virginia near Reedville, with a beautiful cottage on a river estuary leading to the Chesapeake Bay. While Jason was growing up, he was extremely close to his grandparents, Nani and Pap, spending long summers in Northern Neck, or in D.C. before they moved there. In many ways Jason inherited a lot of traits from both of them. From Pap his stubbornness, but from Nani, her sweetness transposed to Jason.

I first met Nani in early 2010 or 2011. I piece together what I remember of that meeting, I remember her sweet smile. I remember how I instantly felt welcome to be part of the family. I remember how much she adored Jason. I went to their family reunion in Northern Neck Virginia, we ate crabs, we laughed, I knew that I belonged. Nani came to Ella’s baby shower in June 2012. She was beaming with delight. The first time she met Ella, she buzzed around the house helping with that difficult time, doing laundry, sweeping the floor. She came to Ella’s first birthday. She was always there a phone call away, I remember never hearing a cross word from Nani, unless it was a Redskins game. When Hazel was born we brought the girls to see Nani and Pap. Pap handed Hazel the spices off the spice rack and hazel enjoyed herself. He did the same thing with Ella when she was young. I think about all the conversations over the years, her radiant positivity, her steadfast way of caring and consoling you with just the joy in her voice. Pap passed in 2017, and she remained steadfast and strong, living each day admiring the beauty before her.

Nani is so loved and remembered to be the sweetest lady you ever met. Her laughter and tone so infectious it could brighten your day with just her greeting of Hi Sweetheart how are you? The last time we spoke was two weeks ago, she loved to send cards by mail, and had sent Ella a birthday card with some cash. Ella and I called her to thank her. She was so full of life that day. She spoke about how beautiful the weather was there that day in Reedville, VA. Before we got off we talked about planning a trip to visit VA. She had a long and beautiful life, passing at 87 years young. She is loved and revered by so many family members, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, her own three children, and I will never forget the love she shared in her time in this world with me and so many countless others. Ella Caroline is named after her to great grandmothers, Ellen and Carol. Her name is changed slightly but the root of her names come from the sweetest women to grace my world.

I look up at the sky, as she would admire the beauty in everything, especially the weather. I look and see a passing cloud today at sunset. I see her and the reminder to keep spreading that same joy she blessed us with. I remember that she is there to remind us all that even this passing cloud over all of us, the sun will come again and make a beautiful day.

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