When I was younger, I certainly felt a little resistant to admitting the similarities between myself and my grandmother. I absolutely adore her, but I think I was too stubborn to accept that my mannerisms could be similar to those of a then 70ish-year-old. But as I grew older, it occurred to me that we really do have a lot more in common than expected: maybe because we’re both Tauruses (whatever that might mean)? Or maybe I’m just growing older and more grandma-like everyday? In any case, there’s definitely a lot of ways in which she has inspired me. And although I could hypothetically talk about this forever, here’s a very brief list of things she has taught me.
- Nature >>>
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One of the primary lessons she taught me was the importance of feeling connected to nature. As an ex-botany major, her whole life pretty much exclusively revolves around plants and tending to her beautiful garden. When I was a younger, considerably angstier teenager, I hated being told to get off my phone and go on a walk or look at flowers: I didn’t really see what it could offer that my iPad didn’t. At this stage of my life, the amount of screentime I am forced to endure has me completely convinced that my grandma was right all along: nature is supreme, and the virtual world simply cannot offer what the earth does on its own.
- “Aesthetic” is a state of mind
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My grandmother’s definition of “clean” is… interesting, to say the least. For as long as I’ve been alive, her house has been a cluttered collection of books, papers, artifacts, art and other curiosities. Everything is almost always at least a little dusty, nothing seems to be in the right place (mostly because there isn’t a predetermined “right place” for anything) and there is definitely no fixed aesthetic. While I don’t necessarily think this is inherently commendable — in fact, I’m pretty sure this sounds nightmarish for a lot of people — it is worth admiring the fact that she prioritizes comfort to perfection. In other words, not everything needs to look perfect or pretty as long as you feel comfortable in your own space! (With that said, I personally would encourage at least a little bit of dusting.)
- DO talk to strangers
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Contrary to the usual maxim that one mustn’t talk to strangers, my grandmother believes it is almost necessary not just to talk to strangers, but also to get to know them and befriend them. She has an innate curiosity about other human beings, and has mastered the art of getting people to share their life stories with her within 10 minutes of her first interaction with them. To her, every story is valuable and worthy of being known. Hearing about the lives of others through her stories is always something I look forward to — although a couple of them do admittedly sound like tall tales, but I suppose that’s just narrative license.
- Learning is a lifelong process
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The fact that my 84-year-old grandmother knows how to use WhatsApp and FaceTime is probably not revolutionary to a lot of people, but I think what truly inspires me is how enthusiastic she has always been about learning new things. She is always seeking out new information, whether it’s about birds and animals (see point 1) or the people around her (see point 3). To her, education is the most important and valuable thing a person could possess — a superpower, in some sense. I can only hope I have her level of excitement and engagement with the world around me when I’m her age.
- Life is worth living
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Perhaps the trait I admire most about my grandma is her relentless, passionate love for life. Reality is very often portrayed as bleak and unfixable, but my grandmother would probably call that notion outrageous. She doesn’t believe in giving up: frankly, I don’t think she even thinks of it as an option. Despite all the curveballs life has thrown her way, she has managed to stay idealistic and — believe it or not — genuinely excited about every new day of her life. Life truly is worth experiencing, and my grandmother is happy to constantly remind everyone of this.
I’m not sure if I’ve really incorporated all of these wonderful lessons into my life yet, but we’ll get there someday! Plus, it’s impossible to be exactly like my grandma. There isn’t anyone quite like her, and honestly, she deserves to feel as unique as she is.