Happy Grandparents Day – Why I miss them?  #LoveJatao

September 10^th is celebrated as the Grandparents day. While it’s not enough to celebrate just a single day for the ever-loving grandparents, it’s important that you let them know why and how much you love them. Happy Grandparents Day to all the lovely grandparents around.

Have I celebrated Grandparents Day ever?

Very frankly I didn’t know about this Grandparents Day till the teacher at my son’s school sent a circular about a Grandparents Day celebration in the school three days back! Is it just another Hallmark greeting day? I hope not. My social media timeline is overflowing with the grandparent selfie and everyone discussing how lucky they are for the love of their grandparents. Really they are lucky. And I miss my grandparents today. I miss them, to the point of feeling sad, because I have never met them, because I have never known them. My dad lost his father, when he was in school and his mom a few years later. My mom happened to lose her dad while she was still studying in college and her mom before I had arrived. So I have no memory of my grandparents. I have only seen their framed photographs in the house. My dad says, he took up medicine because he was inspired by his father, who was also a doctor. All my uncles happen to be engineers but my dad decided to take his father’s legacy ahead.

For me my grandparents were my dad’s aunts who lived with us and who pampered me probably more than what my grandparents would have! As a child I spent a considerable time with ‘Mashi’, my dad’s maternal aunt, and with my dad’s ‘kakima’ who I always addressed as ‘kauma’ because I couldn’t pronounce kakima as a tiny tot. They have been my shields for a very long time. Whenever I had a grudge on my mom – for making me eat, for making me sleep, for asking me not to watch TV – I knew whom I could go and complain! For ‘Mashi’ I was the golden girl like P T Usha (she was very fond of her). But I lost ‘Mashi’ in 2011. My kauma had lost her two young daughters to jaundice and malaria when they were in teens. So I was practically born to fill up that space in her life. From shooing away baby sitters who were not clean to running behind me with a glass of milk, she had done everything. I was very happy that she lived to see my son. Yes I lost her when she was 98. Later in her life kauma had started to forget a lot of things but she never forgot the name ‘Tina’. This happened to the extent that she asked people to take me to her whenever anyone visited her, completely forgetting that I stay in another city. She also used to ask if I have eaten after coming back from school! With age, she was forgetting that I was expecting a child and not a school girl anymore.

Kauma on my Babyshower

When I took my son to meet her, she had told me “bachchar jotno nio, akhon to amar shorir bhalo nei, noile ami thik kore ditam” [take good care of the baby, now my health is not permitting else I would have taken care of him]. She was 98 that time. And unfortunately we lost her a few months later. But that is the love of the grandparents – they always think about you, sometimes even more than your mother. Happy Grandparents Day Mashi and Kauma, you know I will always love you.

When I see my son’s grandparents now (my parents and in-laws both) I understand how much their grand kid means to them. My mother Facetimes at least five times a day and the first word is Bluey ki korche? [What is Bluey doing?] My dad calls every day at 9:05 am sharp, to ask if Bluey cried at school, if he ate breakfast before going to school. My in-laws call and always enquire about his health and whether he is eating well. My mom scans through my FB TL to see if I have uploaded a photo of my son and she has to, has to comment on them.

Bluey with his mum’s parents

Last time when I was in Kolkata and Bluey, being the ever restless kid, was running around the house throwing things and misplacing things. My mom-in-law tutors little kids at home but Bluey was not in a mood to let her teach and kept pulling her to play with him – to an extent that I ended up giving dictation to that little student while my mom-in-law fulfilled my son’s wish to play with her! Yes, that’s what a grandparent is – always there for you. All of you who have or still are enjoying the love of your grandparent give them a hug and tell them I love you! Not just on Grandparents Day but often. Because, you will not have them always. #LoveJatao to them right away.

Bluey with his paternal Grandparents

Here my son went alone to the Grandparents Day celebration at school since both sets of grandparents are in a different city. My mom, however, complained why I didn’t tell her earlier – she would have made plans to visit Bangalore to take him for this celebration. Next year, I’ll keep that in mind.

Here’s what they did on Grandparents Day Celebration – Cup Grandparents – aren’t they cute. He happened to paint the cups himself. I had a huge doubt on it though but then when the school uploaded these photos my doubt has been cleared!

Watch this Video on Grandparents Day

I look forward to hear from you how would you celebrate Grandparents Day. Do share a selfie with your grandparents on Sept. 10, 2017 on Twitter or Facebook with #LoveJatao & tag @blogadda to win a goodie from Parachute Advansed.