Grandparents are like air. You cannot see it, but you know they are always there

Today, I want to take the time to talk about my grandma (Nani, my mom’s mother). Growing up in an Indian household, I was used to being around a lot of my relatives and family friends. I’ve always loved being part of a large community, a large family, especially during Wedding Season. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve known to dress up in Indian attire and go for poojas (prayers), and celebrations of various kinds. I know a lot of my extended family by name and grew up having small talk. Though I think my favorite family member besides my parents, is my grandma.

Whether it was her making my favorite Maharashtrian sweets, or just playing cards with me, she’s always been there in my life, ever since I was a newborn. I would look forward to her coming to stay at my house for a while, excited at the prospect of playing hide and seek with her and going for evening walks. I’ve been visiting and staying at her house without my parents ever since I was three. I looked forward to playing with my cousin, helping her make breakfast, and her always giving me second helpings of everything.

There would be Grandparent’s Day at my school in India (from kindergarten to 5th Grade) every year. My parents and I would ask my grandparents if they would come, and they never said no; they would always be there for me, to support me. I used to walk proudly around the school with them, always participating in all the activities together. Each year, my class and I would make greeting cards for our grandparents, and they always took a video of me showing it to them. Once, when I was in first grade, Grandparents Day came right on my birthday, and the day I was reciting my Hindi Elocution.

I’ve done storytelling, English poems, and Hindi poems since I was in kindergarten, and that Hindi elocution was my favorite. I’ve been doing these elocutions ever since I was 5. I look back to those memories and fondly remember walking up the stage to receive my 1st place prize. I proudly held my place through all the years I was there, right until the point when I left for the USA. I remember them taking a video of me on stage, reciting the poem with my sweet but bold little voice. I still watch the video, looking at them being so proud of me. That was my favorite Grandparent’s Day yet.

Since Grandparent’s Day was always near my birthday, we would spend the day at school and then head over to my birthday party. Ever since I started throwing birthday parties, she’s been to most of them, especially when I was younger. She would do the birthday rituals, and always hand me a gift. She gave me stuffed animals, games, and a ton of love. Over time, as I grew up and soon after I moved to the USA, she always kept a gift and money aside for all my birthdays, festivals, functions, and personal achievements. She always says it’s for when I come to India next. I bought a gold necklace from all the money she gave me for the occasions I hadn’t spent with her since I was in the USA. She made a pretty little booklet and diligently wrote down all the things she wanted to save for me. Whenever I wear that necklace, I always feel the sense of warmth and blessings she radiates, her sweet smiling face coming to my mind.

We ensure to call every couple of days, and she always knows everything in my life. My mom, her, and I have a special bond which we always keep alive. During lockdown in covid, I used to call her with updates of my life almost every day, and we would talk for hours. There are some things she couldn’t relate to, and I would either explain the context of the fact or translate everything in Marathi. For example, if I were trying to explain to her how far New York is from Redmond, Seattle and I would tell her in a way she would find it relatable, like how far Rajasthan is from West Bengal in India. Besides my parents, she was also a reason for my use of authentic Maharashtrian words to communicate. She kept me connected to my culture in more ways than one, and I always asked her about mythological tales whenever I was curious. She’s a huge pillar in my life, and I’m grateful to have her. - Navaka

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