Author: Soumyata Binani
Amidst this pandemic, few things changed and I am glad they did. I started spending a lot of time with my grandmother (maa), who is in her late 70s. Yes! She is pretty old. Considering her age, she is still super active, always running around the house, doing the chores and ranting about how my grandpa watches television all day. *chuckles*. On some days, she is reminiscing about a happy incident of the distant past and on others, she is giving me lessons about life (most of which I don’t really remember).
One fine day, I was trying to teach her how to use a smartphone. The first thing which she wanted to learn was how to click a selfie which was quite amusing as well as a bit surprising. We clicked a few pictures and I noticed a peculiar thing that her eyes were closed in most of them. I whined, “Maa, why did you close your eyes in the pictures”. She came close, peered at them and started laughing like it was a hilarious affair. I scowled; my photographic abilities had been severely insulted.
She is a woman who was married at the age of fourteen and couldn’t complete her education, though this was quite normal in “those” days. I am not implying that her life would have been somewhat better if she didn’t get married so young. The answer to that is subjective. The point I am putting forth is that even if the cards are stacked up against you, you can still be powerful. She didn’t get a chance to pursue her dreams but that never became a hindrance in her life.
Also, there is something very unique about her. She makes everything seem so much simpler. The way she smiles when she’s asleep, it melts my heart. Every time she closes her eyes, her lips would curve into a contented smile. It seems like she is at peace with the world and nothing in the universe can disturb her.
She once told me that I wasn’t talking as much with her as I grew up. I sat there speechless and guilty, having absolutely no answer to that. I knew very well where this conversation was heading to. Sadly, we are the generation of displaced anger and few sentences. Millennials, also known as the “Me” generation, have the least civic engagement and are considered to be the most selfish generation of all times. Well, I can’t change these stereotyped terms (or facts?) but what I can do is spend some quality time with my Maa.
From that day, there has not been a single day when I haven’t spoken to her, no matter how busy I’ve been. I am so thankful to have this gorgeous lady as my grandma. She truly deserves the best!
I completely agree with Barbara Cage when she says, “A grandmother is warm hugs and sweet memories. She remembers all of your accomplishments and forgets all of your mistakes.”