I had the opportunity to host my mom-in-law and her aunt for a week. Why am I saying opportunity? Read on..
The grandma aunt is about 67 years old, or I should say 67 years young. She happened to come to our place with the intention of visiting a couple of temples, so I thought.. She actually had even better things in her mind other than visiting temples!
She was quiet and regular going for the first day. Come next day and she was herself.. Enjoying every part of her trip. She made sure, she enjoyed every part of her stay with us.. Acknowledged and appreciated every small things that we did for her.
Her witty remarks over everything, her knowledge of politics, her love for ice-cream and mangoes and her eagerness to learn and get acquainted with the tech gadgets around her made me feel awed about her..
She happened to share a lot of funny anecdotes from her childhood and younger days. A small incident that she shared with us:
'Being born in a conservative and traditional family, eating out was a big NO. But this was a time when she managed managed to get out and entered into a fabulous restaurant with her cousins. Ordered vada sambar. The table was laid out with spoons, forks and knives. Not sure of how to use the fork and knives, they were sitting amazed. Eating using the hand was out of question, as everyone other guest in the restaurant seemed to be well-versed with the art of eating with forks and knives. Vada sambar arrives and the fight with fork and knife starts. She managed to look around and gathered that fork is used pierce the food and knife to cut and spoon to eat. They id exactly the same, only that the vada pieces were flying around the table to other plates!'
This would have seemed so silly at that time, yet she managed to recollect and share this with me and we both had a hearty laugh.. It showed that she not only had the fun quotient even during the more conservative times of her days, but manages to remember and laugh now at every silly thing that she had done in her younger days.
So what made it so different for me being with her for a few days? It dawned on me that she reminded me of my grandma with whom I had the privilege of spending my entire childhood. Though my grandma did not have the luxuries of life when she was young, she had a bundle of stories and experiences from her childhood and younger days to share with us. She was out of all her conservative mentalities when she was with us. She struggled with Hindi when she stayed with us, but managed to live in Mumbai with just "Nahi".. She was very passionate about TV serials and always fought with us to get her TV slot! I used to beautify her with nail polishes, hair clips and even trendy dresses. She was always sportive to accept and acknowledge whatever me and my sis did to her.. She was the heart of our house and a lot of things revolved around her. She always fought with my dad over his eating and sleeping habits. She was very fond of sweets and used to always crave for them and we had no option but to deny her most of the times since she had Diabetes.. But the way she used to ask for sweets was just the way kids ask for things that they crave for.. She treated us with unconditional love and affection that lingers on in our hearts even today..
The entire week that I had grandma aunt at home, I relived all those childhood and college days that I had spent with my grandma..
And I realized, with old age comes wisdom, wisdom that has fun.. Old age brings a new dimension to life. Old age is probably a new age to see life in a different way..
Old age may not actually be growing old, its just about throwing the old things away and getting a new leash of life..
The grandma aunt is about 67 years old, or I should say 67 years young. She happened to come to our place with the intention of visiting a couple of temples, so I thought.. She actually had even better things in her mind other than visiting temples!
She was quiet and regular going for the first day. Come next day and she was herself.. Enjoying every part of her trip. She made sure, she enjoyed every part of her stay with us.. Acknowledged and appreciated every small things that we did for her.
Her witty remarks over everything, her knowledge of politics, her love for ice-cream and mangoes and her eagerness to learn and get acquainted with the tech gadgets around her made me feel awed about her..
She happened to share a lot of funny anecdotes from her childhood and younger days. A small incident that she shared with us:
'Being born in a conservative and traditional family, eating out was a big NO. But this was a time when she managed managed to get out and entered into a fabulous restaurant with her cousins. Ordered vada sambar. The table was laid out with spoons, forks and knives. Not sure of how to use the fork and knives, they were sitting amazed. Eating using the hand was out of question, as everyone other guest in the restaurant seemed to be well-versed with the art of eating with forks and knives. Vada sambar arrives and the fight with fork and knife starts. She managed to look around and gathered that fork is used pierce the food and knife to cut and spoon to eat. They id exactly the same, only that the vada pieces were flying around the table to other plates!'
This would have seemed so silly at that time, yet she managed to recollect and share this with me and we both had a hearty laugh.. It showed that she not only had the fun quotient even during the more conservative times of her days, but manages to remember and laugh now at every silly thing that she had done in her younger days.
So what made it so different for me being with her for a few days? It dawned on me that she reminded me of my grandma with whom I had the privilege of spending my entire childhood. Though my grandma did not have the luxuries of life when she was young, she had a bundle of stories and experiences from her childhood and younger days to share with us. She was out of all her conservative mentalities when she was with us. She struggled with Hindi when she stayed with us, but managed to live in Mumbai with just "Nahi".. She was very passionate about TV serials and always fought with us to get her TV slot! I used to beautify her with nail polishes, hair clips and even trendy dresses. She was always sportive to accept and acknowledge whatever me and my sis did to her.. She was the heart of our house and a lot of things revolved around her. She always fought with my dad over his eating and sleeping habits. She was very fond of sweets and used to always crave for them and we had no option but to deny her most of the times since she had Diabetes.. But the way she used to ask for sweets was just the way kids ask for things that they crave for.. She treated us with unconditional love and affection that lingers on in our hearts even today..
The entire week that I had grandma aunt at home, I relived all those childhood and college days that I had spent with my grandma..
And I realized, with old age comes wisdom, wisdom that has fun.. Old age brings a new dimension to life. Old age is probably a new age to see life in a different way..
Old age may not actually be growing old, its just about throwing the old things away and getting a new leash of life..