This weekend has been a rough one- my grandmother (Patti) passed away, and even though she wasn’t doing well over the last few weeks somehow her death left me feeling shocked. She was a constant part of my life- she lived with us since I was a baby. We had a complex relationship- we didn’t always agree- but today I was hit with the realization that we never take time to think about what we learn from the people we love. I wanted to immortalize the memories of my grandmother and the lessons she taught her 15 grandkids and many great grand kids:
- Patti was curious, even when she was 94. She always wanted to learn about everything. She would ask my brother Shreenath what he did at his work, she wanted to understand what Google did. When my cousin was talking to her prospective hubby in a closed room-she wanted to know how things were going- she peered through the door to listen.
- Patti remembered everything- She had dozens of nieces and nephews and she knew where everyone was in the globe. So when I told her I was moving to New York, she listed everyone who lived in the area and could help settle me in.
- Patti loved reading- She would read all kinds of magazines, which sometimes became an issue- she was always a bit of a hypochondriac- every time she read about an ailment she had a feeling she could have it. But even as her eye sight got worse, she still tried reading in the afternoon after lunch.
- Patti never let age stop her- She traveled to Singapore even after she was 80 and had a pace maker for her heart. She would have flown in US in a heart beat, if the doctors agreed! She was willing to try new foods too- even though she was orthodox, when we explained the machine process in which Lays was made, she tried it and made it her staple favorite.
- Patti took care of her health- Her health care regime is admirable- she took almonds for her skin and memory, water with peppers and honey for throat. I remember one of my uncles had a frozen shoulder and he was exercising the shoulder against the wall. She wanted to try and exercise the same way, since it would good for her shoulders too (it wasn’t the best idea with her back issues and we had to stop her). I was doing yoga once, and she wanted to learn so she could do the same.
My grandmother lived a long and happy life- she lived through her grandchildren’s weddings (her dream) and could meet her great grandchildren. When I look back, I feel that I could spend so much time with my cousins and aunts because she was the glue that kept the family together. People came to our place over the summer so they could get her blessings.
Patti the family will miss you, but I am glad you didn’t suffer. I hope you continue to bless us and watch over us!
Random Musings 