To be honest, when I read this topic, I had plenty of thoughts and emotions about grandparents. The strong emotions may come from my deep desire...
My parental grandparents and maternal grandparents are very near each other, with just about 50 footsteps. As normal, people might think that I am a very lucky girl because it is easy to approach both grandparents and to be loved by all of them. However, my childhood was quite different from others' thoughts. Because the distance is not actually the problem in some cases. My parental grandad passed away because of the war and I never have a chance to meet him or feel his warm embrace. So I only have one grandfather left. However, he seldom cares about me or asks me, he's always busy with his job. And my maternal grandmother is the same.
When I was in school, my friends always told me stories about their visits to their maternal grandparents, how their grandparents loved them, took them by bike around, bought them the gifts along the roads, saved good fruits for them, gave them lucky money on Tet holidays... a lot of beautiful memories. I loved all of those stories but I was very jealous of them too. Each time I saw grandparents picking up the children at the gate of the schools, I always looked at them in silence with the hope that I could be treated in the same ways...
But I wasn't lucky enough to have the same memories. Once after finishing the classes in secondary school, I was on the way back home, I came across the nice moment that made me touched: A grandpa was carrying a nephew on the bike, the little embraced grandpa tightly with the best of love. I... did...ride my bike... following them for a while just to look at them. Maybe that is one of the most beautiful images in my mind.
However, I can't deny that I am also lucky than many ones since I have a great parental grandma. She occupied my heart. I lived with her since I was born. She was very strict and powerful. Everyone in my family always respected her. She was very very strong because She took care of 5 sons and brought them up all alone (because my grandpa was gone when he was 37). I can't imagine how she could do it in war and my family was very poor a long time ago. She was my delicate teacher because most of my characters today might be inherited from my grandma's education. I remembered that when I was very little, She always told me to talk and walk softly. It was strange when someone run noisily and smiled too loudly in my house. It was hard to accept. When I washed dishes, she sometimes scolded me due to noisy and strong dishwashing. It was too strict for a kid so sometimes I was angry and told her back (^^). I was very brave! Then you know the consequence was I had to apologize to her and kneel all afternoon. Behind the punishment were the valuable lessons. Besides the strictness, she always spent me and others children the endless love. She always saved the best things for us. When she came back, she always carried some lovely gifts like candies or cakes. For all the good things and food, she always gave to us. To a kid, what can be valuable than that kind of treatment as well as love?
Very old photo of my grandma - Over 15 years ago...
We visited a pagoda with grandma in 2007...
I was one of the most naughty of her grandchildren. I always asked her "Do you have anything to eat" because I knew there were always some tasty things ^^. She never refused me. She said yes and let me open her robe and took my choice freely. I always showed off my gifts to other children in my house because they seldom dared to ask her for something. ^^. I had a lot of memories about her to share but the more I share, the more emotional I get. Therefore, I would like to end my story here to save the deep emotion in my heart to remember her as a source of happiness, like a fairy of my childhood. If I had a wish, I just would wish to say "Thank you" to her to bring me beautiful memories that will go with me all my life. She was gone almost 5 years ago but she still lives in my heart.
Thank you, my beloved grandma. Love you to the moon and back!
(This is the first time I dare to write and express my love to my grandma. I couldn't hold back my feelings...)
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Thanks for your reading. Hope you will have positive moments with my blog.
Love you 😘
Thao Vy