What is that one thing/moment that you hold close to your heart?

[Tamanna Godara]

Hello!
Incidentally, I came across this letter from my grandmom yesterday and I was crying and was super nostalgic reading it again after so many years. It is one of my most treasured memories to date. I have read it many times when I come to my mom's home and the feeling is the same. 

The letter is dated to 26.11.1996 and is written in response to my very first letter that I wrote to her and at that time I had just learned to write. It is in my native language Hindi and where she is asking about well being of family and when you read it you feel those were simpler times. She tells me to work hard and says labour of hard work is always sweet (मेहनत का फल मीठा होता है).

That is my story for #friday-fun. What is your favorite thing/moment which you hold close to your heart? 

[Darline Auguste]

Such a lovely memory @Tamanna Godara! Like you, my favorite moment involves my grandmother.

This picture is from December 2018. I hadn't been home to the U.S. in over a year and one of my first stops was to her house. She always cries a little during each visit but not this time. She told me how much she missed me and missed her favorite hobby - collecting bottles and cans for recycling. But mostly she was overjoyed I'd be home for Christmas and New Years, after I hadn't been home for both holidays in several years. This time it was me crying, seeing how happy she was.

I'm incredibly homesick right now and I'd love to see her face 

[Tamanna Godara]

Hoping that this ends soon and you get to hug your grandmother soon... Lovely picture! <3

[Celina Zamora]

SO beautiful <3 There's something so beautiful about their hands in yours. The hands that have comforted you and how safe you feel with them. Oh Darline, I really hope you get to go home soon. I know being away from family is difficult. Sending you a big hug! 

[Celina Zamora]

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful memory with us @Tamanna Godara  and @Darline Auguste . You all are incredible women and I can see that it has been passed on from generations. 

There's something so special about grandparents. Mine revolves around my grandparents too. 

My grandparents have always been the heart and soul of my family. I have always been very close to them, and even called my maternal grandmother "Mom". Both my paternal grandparents passed, but they made such an impact on my life when they were here, that their lessons and words guide me each day.

My grandpa was probably the kindest, most warm-hearted man you'd ever meet. When we'd ask him how he was doing, he would respond with, "Pretty good con papas", meaning pretty good with "potatoes". His thought was if you add potatoes, it makes it great. Seriously though, who doesn't love potatoes (french fries, roasted, baked, etc.). My grandma was a force--strong and very protective of her family. That woman could make a grown man cry (ask my dad) lol, but boy did that woman love hard. She was the biggest cheerleader of her family, she sacrificed so much of herself to make sure her family was always together and a tight unit. I remember growing up and walking into their home, and my grandma would give me the biggest hugs and make me a rootbeer float or let me steal some cookies from their metal cookie jar. While my grandpa was at the piano playing and singing "boleros" to my grandma. They LOVED music and instilled it in our family and they were amazing dancers too (another trait my family carries). There was a warmth in their home that made everyone feel invited. I remember my grandma telling me when I was older, that she was proud of me and asked me to be a positive example and guide my younger cousins (I was the oldest). That really resonated with me and still pushes me to be my best every day. 

My maternal grandma (now known as "Visa"--my kids call her that for bisabuela or great-grandma) continues to be the woman I cannot say "no" to. She is the kindest and most giving woman. I remember going outside to find rolly pollies and we would try to collect as many as possible and then put them all back. She did that with my oldest daughter too. She is known for working hard to support her family, and always showing up for her loved ones without hesitation. Now it's been hard to visit because dementia is slowly taking her memory away from us, and when I talk to her she becomes very sentimental, which makes me miss her that much more. She turns 90 this year, and I'm just so thankful she was a huge part of my upbringing. 

I guess my collective memory is really a mix of many memories of the impact they've had in my life. How my grandparents really helped mold me directly and indirectly through my parents. They are truly angels (even on Earth) and the core of why I am the person I am today. I tell people that my success rests upon their shoulders, through their sacrifice and determination to make a better life for our family. I will forever be grateful for them and the memories we've shared. 

[Tamanna Godara]

Wow so lovely to read this. Grandparents are true treasures! :)

[Darline Auguste]

So beautiful and heartwarming Celina! Grateful for you and your grandparents 

[Monique vdB]

Thank you all for sharing your memories of these amazing women! I have two to share:

In thinking of the birth of my daughter, it's actually not her birth that strikes me as most meaningful, it's a moment when she was a few weeks old. She was playing on her activity mat and I looked over at her and had this wave of emotion wash over me that can be approximated as: I would 100% throw myself in front of a bus if I had to, for her. I realized then why people say having a child is like suddenly having your heart walking around outside of your body. 

And of course I have to mention my maternal grandmother, who saved my grandfather's life in Amsterdam during the war (but that's another story). She was an amazing woman, and she died of cancer when I was in my 20s. I was the only family member with her at the time, and I was holding her hand when she died. It was a peaceful and profound moment that I will never forget. My daughter's middle name is Anne, after my grandma Ann.

[Darline Auguste]

Such beautiful memories Mo  I'm glad you were there for your grandmother in her final moments and I'd love to hear more about her!

[Tamanna Godara]

@Monique vdB your grandmom was so strong and so are you! And we all love your lil one <3

[DPKJ]

Great memories all.

I have lots of memories of my grand-father, and the most priced ones are early morning walk to field with him, I was too young at that time, and I used to walk behind him everywhere he used to go. I will always regret that there is no going back to that world again...

[Tamanna Godara]

Walks in the fields used to be the best holidays for me and the only ones I remember. 
@DPKJ maybe you can buy a farmhouse for yourself when you retire. 

[DPKJ]

I want to retire now :-)

[Tamanna Godara]

Lol... 😂 
Maybe you can do something like this #workfromvillage story: https://www.forbesindia.com/article/big-bet/cover-story-sridhar-vembus-vision-from-the-village/59833/1

[DPKJ]

Will do that once I get a remote job, or may be if I can build something on my own, like writing Atlassian add-on from village.

[Jimmy Seddon]

This is such a fantastic topic @Tamanna Godara!

I have so many great memories, but I think one of my favorites worth sharing is the first time I went on a train ride with my dad.  My dad is a huge train buff and we went to a train museum that isn't too far from where we live and they had a vintage train that would run back and forth on a couple of miles of maintained track.

I really enjoyed being on the train and I could tell my dad was excited to share that experience with me. 

[Tamanna Godara]

Wow @Jimmy Seddon train rides are best...
I don't remember my first train ride so vividly but I do remember my Volvo bus ride from Delhi to Jaipur (my home) and I was sitting at the window seat watching the roads, the buildings, the barren lands, the farms on the side and how magnificent it looked. 

[Esther Strom]

I love this topic, @Tamanna Godara  - it's really something to think about. I have a lot of memories that I hold dear, and now that my parents are both gone it's difficult to choose any specific one. 

My mom was an incredible baker; she made wedding cakes for family and friends. I have many fond memories of being in the kitchen with her. One of my regrets is not paying more attention at the time because it felt like she would always be there to ask. Many of her old family recipes weren't really recipes; they involved instructions like, "add flour until it feels right". Now, as an adult, I don't know what that means, but I continue to try, as it makes me feel closer to her.

I think my memories of my dad are easier to choose from. He was very into technology; we were the first family in our neighborhood to have a computer (Apple IIe back in 1982, I think) and he was the one who sparked my interest in computers by letting me help him build an "IBM clone" (that shows you how old I am :). Without that, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing now (or what I did for 20 years prior to this.)

My other favorite memory is him clearing out all the living room furniture so I could give family dance recitals when I was four or five. He would put a classical record on his very fancy stereo, I would put on my tutu and ballet shoes, and although he worked 18 hour days and probably would have loved to just go to bed, he sat and watched and cheered me on.

[Tamanna Godara]

Lovely to read about your parents @Esther Strom
My eyes are moist and I have a smile while writing this. I am humbled to know you. Huge hug to you.