Grandma Smith

During my first pregnancy, I spent nearly every single day with my Grandma Smith. She lived a few miles, from my apartment and made it her mission to make sure I never faced a dull moment—or a full laundry basket. She’d swing by to pick me up and we’d head to her house, where I could do laundry while she tackled one of her never-ending projects.

Grandma was a force of nature. Every day brought a new mission—usually involving her yard, some unconventional tools, and a whole lot of creativity. I’ve never met someone with a mind quite like hers. If you gave her a pile of scrap wood and a broken hose, she’d probably build a fountain. She reminded me so much of McGyver—resourceful, bold, and always with a new idea.

One day during her daily “Sara pickup,” she got pulled over and received a speeding ticket. She was not happy about it. To her, the low speed limit on that empty stretch of road was ridiculous. With her signature grit, she refused to pay the fine and instead marched herself to court to plead her case. The judge, unimpressed, waved her off and told her to just pay the ticket. But Grandma, stubborn and fierce, declared, “Take me to jail!”—and meant it. Thankfully, the judge didn’t take her up on the offer.

Fast forward six months later, she was dropping me—and my clean laundry—back at my apartment when we spotted the same cop on that same road. What happened next was purely terrifying . She floored it until we were eye-to-eye with the officer, then slammed on the brakes and crept past at a dramatic 2 miles per hour, backing up traffic for the rest of the stretch. The cop didn’t react, thank goodness. I was clutching the seat, convinced we were headed to jail.

It was in that moment I realized my own rebellious streak wasn’t just mine—it was hereditary. Grandma Smith taught me more than just how to wash baby clothes or build a flower bed out of rocks. She showed me how to stand your ground, question nonsense, and never back down from a fight you believe in.

She was one of a kind. And I’ll always be grateful that during one of the most vulnerable, life-changing times of my life, I got to spend it with her.