Conversations With My Grandmother

One of the things I wasn't able to do when I was young was spend a lot of time with my grandmother, either grandmother.  And, I had always been a little jealous of people I knew who had that opportunity.  Some people I know grew up with their grandmothers in their home.  My friends who have children now either live close to their parents or live with their parents.  There are times when I think 'how lucky their children will be to have grown up with their grandmothers.  My mother's mother is deceased.  I loved her dearly.  She was sick for many years, from the time I was nine years old until I was 19.  I still have childhood memories of being in the garden with her.  They were wonderful moments.  Because I grew up living with my mother, I only saw my father's mother on holidays and most weekends.  I never had a chance to get to know her.  Correction: I hadn't had a chance until now.  About two months ago, I moved in with my aunt.  My grandmother lives with my aunt.  My grandmother and I have made up for over 30 years of lost time in less than three months.


Everyday, I observe my Grandmother.  She doesn't realize it, of course.  But, everyday I notice how similar I am to her, but more than anything I realize how much I love her.  At least three days a week my grandmother and I have long, private conversations.  We debate about things.  We analyze things.  We over-analyze things.  We laugh.  We pray.  We learn about each other.  And, we support and encourage each other.    


Our conversations center around many of the same topics: family, career, relationships, love.  When we talk about family, she often tells me "who's who" - who everyone is in the family and my relation to them.  I realized the other day I need to start taking notes!  I have a hard time remembering all the names!  When we talk about our careers, she tells me how much she loved teaching, and some of the highlights of her career.  She's an advocate of women having careers should they choose.  She's also an advocate of family.  She was a stay at home mother for several years.  When we talk about her family, her face lights up.  She enjoyed raising her five children.  Even now, she has a bond with her four sons and one daughter many of her friends envy.  Our conversation about relationships and love cover everything from friendships, to relationships with men, to business relationships.  We differ on many things, but one thing's for sure, we love to love and believe love is important.


I cherish my time with my Grandmother.  I cherish our wonderful conversations.  I cherish her wisdom and willingness to spend time with me.  I can't imagine how I'll feel the day I move out of the house, but one thing's for sure: I'll have fond memories to reflect on and possibly share with my granddaughter one day about her great-grandmother.

[From left to right: me and my twin sister, Ramona (top), 

my grandmother and aunt (bottom)]