Grandparents

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, clear blue interminable skies, flocks of birds chirping unceasingly on the nearby willow tree. An eastern gray squirrel scuttled past and up a pine tree away from a group of boisterous kids running around enjoying the afternoon sun. Laughter and squeals rang through the entire park, it was a blithe moment.

I sat on a dainty laced picnic cloth I bought from India a couple of years back and stole in a large breath as I inhaled deeply. Tranquility and serenity stirred the inner corners of my heart. As I surveyed the vast green field, my eyes stopped upon two elderly couples. They were sauntering hand in hand, eyes glistening and laughing at silly jokes fired at each other. They stopped walking as he turned and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink hue and she put her arms around him. Looking at this sight I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of longing and jealousy. However, I quickly pushed the thought away and continued on looking at them as they slowly made their way towards me.

‘Hey ! Had a wonderful walk ?’ I asked my grandparents as they came and sat on the opposite side of the mat. ‘ Yes we sure did and almost got knocked over by a kid on his bike !’ My grandfather chuckled as he wiped rivulets of sweat on his forehead with his sleeves. ‘ Joel Lawson ! What are handkerchiefs made for ?’ My grandmother asked appalled. My grandfather just shrugged as he sank his teeth into a large piece of ham sandwich my grandmother made. It was his favorite and he savored every piece of it. I loved how my grandmother knew every single detail of my grandfather and the way my grandfather could always light up a smile on her face whenever he’s around. No words could ever define how vast their love for each other was and I am glad to be able to share that love with them every day.

I was orphaned at the age of six when a drunk driver took the lives of my parents. My grandparents took me in and raised me up into the person I am today. My grandparents showed me unconditional love and support through their actions and wisdom. Every night they would come into my room and tuck me in. But before that, we would always join our hands to pray. My grandparents were strong believers in their faith and they taught me who God was and the power of prayer. ‘God is the reason why you are alive today my dear, don’t ever forget that.’ My grandfather would always say to me when I was a child. And I’ve never let those words slip my mind.

My grandfather was a man of little words but of actions. ‘Some people can talk great sense, but when it comes to action, they are nowhere to be seen.’ My grandfather always stressed on this. ‘Actions speak louder than words.’ He would always tell me. My grandfather was a commander in the 2nd Infantry Division when he served for Britain during World War II. Back when I was a child, I remember my grandfather sitting on his rattan rocking chair where he would be smoking his captain's classic pipe tobacco and he would always tell me stories during the war. My grandfather was like a walking history text book. After every story he told, there was bound to be a moral lesson to be learnt.

At the age of 84, my grandfather was still up and about doing activities a young adolescent would be doing. He was never the type of person who would sit on a couch staring at the television and sulking over his old age. Instead, he spends most of his afternoons taking hikes and fishing. My grandfather was a prowess in fishing; he knew every little details of fishing. He knew what bait to use to catch which fish. I enjoyed the times I spent with him during out little fishing trips. After every fishing trips, we would go back home with buckets full of fish. And we would have a little barbeque at our backyard where we would invite our friends to come over. It was a priceless time, and a memory that I would always keep.

My grandmother was the sweetest person you could ever meet. Her sweet smile could warm you up in an instant. Though her physical look bears the sign of ageing; but with her ever present laughter and incredible humor, the radiance of her expression still signifies her younger days. ‘Life will never be easy my child. But you must always remember that nothing is too big for God to handle. Whenever life gives you lemons, bring that lemon to God and he will give you a nice glass of the finest ice lemonade drink you will ever taste.’ My grandmother would always say to me whenever I had a bad day.

My grandmother was a great cook. The kitchen was her usual hangout place. Whenever my grandmother cooks, an aroma of mouth watering scent would fill up every rooms of the house and would send your tummies into an orchestra of drum rolls. Even though there was only three person living in the house. My grandmother would cook a table full of delicious cuisine fit for a king. After every dinner, we would be too full to even move. Then, we would talk about our day and share our opinions with each other. There was never a time in the Lawson’s home that you would not hear any laughter or conversations.

As a gust of warm summer wind blew past, the swishing sound of tree leaves echoed across the valley. I gazed at my grandparents and thank God for giving me such loving people in my life. They were the ones who taught me how to live life in a way with no regrets. They were the people who taught me what love was. They are my motivation to go through life each day. And I pray that one day; I would have a life like my grandparents had.