Grandma is 94 today
If you look at her, you will believe you are seeing an old lady like many, with bad knees and a wisened ancient face. And she could have been exactly what others expected of her. She was born from obscenely rich parents in the Northeast of Brazil, the youngest of 27 children, at the dawn of the 20th century. Her oldest brother was already a grandfather when she came into this world. But it was written that the wide-eyed girl I see in old yellowed pictures was going to do things her own way. The first to discover that were the French nuns at the intern school she went to. In those days, long hair was the rule for well behaved young ladies. Imagine their surprise and shock when this farmer's daughter showed up, after summer vacation spotting the � la gar�onne hair do (just like a boy).
Her temper showed up again not much later, when she fell in love with the doctor that took care of her seasickness during a liner trip. He was older, darker skinned, poor and an army officer. Her family didn't like that at all, but what was the use of resisting her? She married Antonio, my grandfather and had a son and a daughter (my mom). Being an army wife, she spent the next years moving around the country, raising her kids. When they were already teens, they lived in Washington for one year.
Antonio managed to go to the newly founded airforce and got to the highest rank (brigadeer). They were deeply in love, and I remember that. They understood each other without words. And when she whined (sometimes she had relapses into the spoiled farmer's daughter mood), he always found a way to make her laugh. But he died suddenly, when she was 60 years old.
It was a tragedy for the family. And most people expected her to wither and become a discreetly sad old lady, sipping tea and playing bridge with others. That was when grandma truly surprised everyone. After a spell of paralysing grief, she strived to recover her balance. First with yoga and meditation, then with a long trip on her own to Europe. I remember how excited she was when she came back and showed up all the things she brought with her. I remember the pearls in a red velvet case, and I think that it the reason I love pearls with all my might.
From then on, she didn't stop. She studied Philosophy in the university, explored hungrily the esoteric realm from Eastern wisdom to the truth about flying saucers, aztheck culture and life after death. She enjoyed it, but she never got hooked on any particular current nor fooled by any particular guru, at least for long. She travelled a lot. She took a bath in the Ganges, trekked in Nepal, took an elephant ride in Myanmar and meditated in a xinthoist temple in Japan. She visited the pyramids in Egypt and Mexico, and even faced a real big hurricane during a cruise in the Caribbean. But the most important thing was that she made friends with people from all ages and interests, from conservative Air force widows to daring young people from the university. Last year, her Christmas list had gifts for 34 closest people.
A few years ago, she started having problems on her back and knees and her autonomy was sadly reduced. Instead of getting depressed, grandma got busy. She started going three times a week to hydrogymnastiscs classes and discovered the wondrous world of the internet. I don't have to say that she made even more friends.
I spent the day with her today. I am amazed at her ability to tell tales and make observations about everything that is going on. She's been sick lately but it is very enthusiastic about the chromotherapy treatment she just started. Grandma rocks. I wish I had half her energy in face of life's adversities.
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