Today I am going to introduce you to my Grandmother, whom I lovingly call “Nani“. If you guys remember, I am on vacation. Recently, I visited my mother for around two weeks. For the first week, my grandmother was also there. So it was a week long get together. All three generations in one place, me, my mother and my grandmother. I am so lucky to have her in my life. And I love her. So I thought of writing a post about her and our time together.
When I was small, I was very close to her and Nana (Grandpa). I have so many fond memories of them. They used to sneak us tea and biscuits (prohibited by parents). My Nana would care for me when I had terrible earaches. He used to correct my English homework during summer vacations. Nani would make aloo-papad (Potato sheets) for me whenever she visited us just because they were my favorite.
My nana is no more. And Nani is in her eighties. As far as I can remember, she is getting smaller and smaller as the years pass by. But still, when she smiles, there is a shine on her face. She used to ask me puzzles and tell me idioms in Hindi. She does the same even now.
Even at this age, she takes care of herself. She takes her medicines by herself, massages her knees by herself, eats by herself, and her mind is just as sharp as you and me. Her innocent questions about my laptop, phone, apps bring a smile to my face. Her excitement to want to see a cab I called using Uber, just because she has never seen anything like that was so cute. In some ways, she is just like a small child now. For her everything is new.
I marvel at her independence and strength. She would fill all the buckets with water in the morning when she saw that’s what my mother does daily. She repaired her blouse by herself. Yes, all the tasks she does are slow, but the silver lining is, she is able to do them by herself. She knew about my mother-in-law’s knee pain and brought medicine for her. She gave me some of her belongings she has never used to remember her by. All the time she would say with tears in her eyes, “I don’t know whether I will be able to meet you again when you will go far away.” or “Do you miss me? I miss you all the time. Remember to call me.” I didn’t have answers to give her.
She has a landline near her bed and diary where she keeps all the numbers. If my mother won’t call her for few days, she would ring her. She even calls me from that landline. Sometimes the call goes through and sometimes it doesn’t. She misses a digit or presses a wrong button and call fails. I can visualize the disappointment and frustrations she must feel in that instance. This time I would try my best to call her more.
She isn’t perfect. Like everyone, she has her own flaws. But she has a lot of love and experiences to share with those who would want it. I just hope, I am as active as her in my old age. I am really grateful to have her in my life.
After I read “A Man Called Ove“, my respect for my parents and grandparents increased. They brought us up, sacrificed their own needs to give us what we need, took care of us when we got sick, listened to us talk continuously about ourselves without losing patience or getting bored, handled our tantrums, and so on. Now, when they are old, all they need is an ear to listen, respect, and feel useful for someone. I saw this first hand this time with my grandmother. I just hope she stays happy and healthy and I get to meet her more.
Share your sweet memories with your grandparents in the comments below. I would love to know them.
