63 years. 63 long
and good years. This number marks the number of years my grandma and grandpa are
married. They married in Persia, when my grandmother was 19. She says my
grandfather was the man she choice. She did not agree to an arranged marriage,
which was so usual at that time in the mountains of Kurdistan. But my
grandmother did not agree to that norm. She waited for the right person. It was
David for her. And ever since, 63 years, they have been together.
Grandma Zipporah,
is a very special person. For those who do not know her, a short conversation is
enough to understand that she is an extraordinary personality, a person that
shows out and also full of love, desire to give and help as much as possible, independence,
and unparalleled wisdom. It’s true, she is a grandmother, and I know all these
things might be true regarding many other grandmothers, but there is something
that can not be explained about Grandma Zippiy’s irresistible personality.
Simply can not be.
A few weeks ago
we ate together Friday night’s dinner. After dinner, we played with my nephew
with his toys scattered everywhere. I saw grandpa holding grandma, and helped
her to stand, when suddenly revealed to me a thrilling and amazing sight: grandpa,
who is 85 years old, saw there’s a toy on the floor disturbed grandmother's
walking path. He just bent with the little strength he has left, and took the
toy away so that grandma will not fall on it. That was the only thing that was
important to him at that moment – to move the toy and keep grandma safe. His
wife for the last 63 years.
This week, on
one day, my grandma did not feel well. When I talked to her she told me she had
fallen asleep in the living room, and grandpa slept all through the night on
the little sofa next to her and did not move. He held her hand, so if she
needed anything he could hear and help her, at any time, at any part of the
night. 2 nights they spent that way, she felt asleep on the big couch in the
living room, and he on the small couch next to her, holding her hand, and ready
to help her as needed.
When my grandma
told me about it, my eyes were wet for a moment. I smiled a bit embarrassed and
happy. I heard her voice, and all that I could think about is how amazing it is,
that after 63 years together, grandpa will not sleep without her even for one
night. He wants to be there all night next to her so if she needs anything, God
forbid, he will be there for her. I thought to myself how many times we are
talking and writing about the little moments of happiness in our life, and
searching for the meaning of life. We are looking for the next big car, dream
house we want to build, with a yard, a garden, a dog or a cat, about eating in restaurants,
surfing the web, going abroad, seeing the world, traveling, fulfilling
ourselves, to develop as a person, to go to the pub, see a movie. All of these
things make us seemingly happier and at certain moments better and more
complete.
My grandparents
came from Persia in 1951. They had nothing. They lived in transit camps, like
many other good people. They were content with the little that they had. They
didn’t eat no luxury food, they didn’t fly abroad, they had no internet and
they did not know what a car was. They did not eat in restaurants, and they
raised four wonderful children. 14 grandchildren. 7 great-grandchildren. They
are so happy. If you ask them, they will tell you. If you look at them, you
will see and understand immediately.
I wish for
myself and to all of you, that in 40 years from now, we will be here, and we'll
have someone to hold our hand when we sleep, someone that will move the toys
out of our way, and will love us so much. I wish that we will know to identify
those people in our lives, and hold them tight and be better and more complete
with what we have. Even if sometimes it seems we don’t have much.
This week my
grandma is celebrating another birthday. Another year of her happy life. Dear
grandma and grandpa, my wish to you is for many more years of good and long
life together. Thank you for all that you taught us, all that you gave and all
that you do for us, and that you are just you: role model, an example of how
people should be even in the more challenging moments of life, and when it
seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. You are the light for
all of us. You always were and always will be.
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה