She was 90 years old, had a full life, and was well-loved by her husband and her family. She lived for most of her married life (74 years) in this house behind us, with stilts.
When I met her for the first time, I wondered if she would want to know me. Would she love me? It had been 30 years since she held me as a babe in her arms. When our van arrived in her village, she came walking as fast her wobbly little legs could take her, came right up to me, grabbed my hand, and smiled. She had four teeth and they were all rotten! And she was all of about 4 and a half feet tall. I lost my heart to her that very second.
The entire time I was there, I couldn't remember her letting go of my hand. It was like she was trying to make up for lost time. At one point, she held up my hand to her own, and studied our hands. They were exactly the same. She snorted. It was just too precious.
In our stay at the village, I couldn't help watching her. The most surprising thing I saw was how goofy she was. At 85 years old, she would crack jokes, and hit my grandfather in the back, laughing at him until he would laugh too. She had joy. Her heart was so generous and giving. As poor as they were, and uneducated, I couldn't remember being more proud of my heritage and who I had come from. She was a hoot and total delight, and I felt so lucky to be her grand daughter. She will be greatly missed.
2 comments:
Soryda,
Thanks for sharing such wonderful memories of your grandmother and sorry to hear of her passing. It sounds like she lived a rich and full life - I can't imagine 75 years of marriage - what a blessing! I have fond memories of meeting women like her on one of my trips to Cambodia. May her spirit always rest with you.
Adrienne
I'm sorry for your loss. What a joy and blessing to have those memories of your time with her in Cambodia!
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