My grandma is better than your grandma

crampus1
crampus1 Posts: 519 Member
I’ve been having fond memories of my grandparents lately. Sadly they passed away several years ago. I see my parents getting older....the age when I used to think my grandparents were ancient, and I feel a little twinge of fear in my heart, knowing that someday too, they will be with me no longer. But for now I am grateful my children are very close to them and now making their own grandma and grandpa memories. What are some of your favorite memories of your grandparents? Are you a grandparent making wonderful memories for your grandchild? What’s your favorite?

Replies

  • Just_Mel_
    Just_Mel_ Posts: 3,992 Member
    I never had the grandparents experience. The only living one turned her back on her grandkids when her own son, my dad passed away when I was 7 years old. I looked her up on FB a few weeks ago and it was a surreal thing to see her, she's literally a stranger.

    My daughters are worshipped by my folks. They are truly blessed. Their other grandparents see them maybe once every year or two, despite living within 20 miles of them.
  • megleighd
    megleighd Posts: 53 Member
    edited December 2018
    My grandmother would tell naughty jokes. I remember when I was 21 I purposefully recorded her so I would always have her voice. I thought I had lost the phone a few years ago, but I found it in October when we moved into our first home. Was able to hear her voice again.

    My last favorite memory of my grandfather was of him in the nursing home. He couldn't talk anymore and I would go in the morning because in the afternoon they would have him drugged up. In those morning, even though he couldn't speak, I knew he was still there and when I told him I was pregnant he cried. I could feel how proud and happy for me he was. I was holding his hand when he passed away months later.

    Neither of them got to meet my baby girl and they passed away within a year of each other. My aunt sent me a bunch of old photos and gave me his paratrooper jacket and jumpsuits.
  • kam26001
    kam26001 Posts: 2,794 Member
    My grandma used to leave really long messages on our answering machine. She would just babble on about my dad never being at home and not to forget about who brought him into this world. This was back when answering machines recorded onto a cassette. I remember making a joke that Nana made the best mixtapes (lol) but it didn't go over too well because she had died the day before. I was just trying to lighten the mood!
  • Nicksmom106
    Nicksmom106 Posts: 1,624 Member
    Aw you guys!!!😍 love hearing and seeing all these posts!!!

    My father was Italian and my grandpapa who I loved more than I can say was a little guy, very artistic and worked with iron and could make and fix anything, he drew the white rock soda water nymph as he and a cousin created this orangeade soda in the north end and then the cousin sold it to whoever and so the story goes....but I've seen sketches of it and it makes me happy seeing it when I do💗 He never spoke English even being here 60 years even though he understood perfectly. Once in a while he would say something and it was soo cute we'd all crack up....gee I really wonder why he didn't try more😏. His wife, my grandmama was the matriarch of the family...she was hard core and wick with the wit and the wooden spoon..lol...she was also an amazing cook, a seamstress and very beautiful and elegant. At her funeral one of her friends told me I have her hands and mannerisms and I was.thrilled lol. I lived down the street from them and saw them everyday...miss them everyday too💗

    My mom's family is from Ireland and my sweetest grandma was a beautiful, kind and very loving little angel...she was a head nurse in the pediatric ward in Boston during WWII and would always play dolls and go fish with me, she moved with grandpa a.sweet.more serious fellow who gave good advice and laughed out loud when he found things funny his eyes always feared up....they moved Florida when they retired but came back when I was a.teen because my sweet grandma had early signs of Alzheimer's....she lives with us til she passed and I loved every minute of her....even the ones that broke me, like when she asked if I would like to play dolls with her but she had to ask her ma and da first😢💗....she was precious to me....oh but she was funny as all neck too....she told my mom one day that 'that man (my dad) looks very shady and we should watch him he could be up to no good! " hahahaha....my mom loves that one....my dad too...now he's up with them all and watching out for me and mine and I'm so happy I got to tell you all about them!!!💗👍🤗
  • lililomo2
    lililomo2 Posts: 250 Member
    My Grandmother has never had an easy life. She was given up for an adoption as a child, they were very poor sometimes on the street. Her adoptive parents passed away young and she spent much of her youth in orphanages. She married my Grandfather and they had 8 children together but lost 1. My seemingly healthy Grandfather died suddenly at 40. My Grandma only 38, her youngest child only 5. She has no previous work experience so begged and pleaded with her neighbour to get her work as a 911 operator. She was barely making money as it was and her dream of getting her family out of Sweden and to Canada seemed very far away. She’s always had a green thumb so she started caring for the gardens of the women in a wealthier neighbourhood. She saved her pennies and eventually got out of Sweden and to the city I currently reside in. She found love again, and I grew up to know this man as my Grandpa. However he too died too young and the same weeekend she found out he was ill he passed away. She continued to work as a Gardner until
    about 11 years ago, but her arthritis got really bad. 10 years ago she met her “soul mate” (her words) and they started off as the best years of her life (also her words). But there’s last few, she’s broken her hip, lost her niece, had a brain cancer scare, then in 3 months time, lost her best friend, then her eldest son, then her sister and now another brain cancer scare. Yet amongst everything, she has always been the warmest, kindest, most genuine, hard working, compassionate woman I have ever known. She has never let the world make her bitter. And even now, when she has so little to give and at 89 years old you will find her prepping dinner for the homeless every Sunday like clockwork. This year, she married her best friend. Whether she has cancer or not we won’t no as she’s no longer going to the doctors. She said she’s here for as long as God intends her to be and she plans to spend it spreading joy and partying. She is most certainly the best to me.

    End novel.

    what an incredible, resilient, strong woman. you're both lucky to have each other. and no need for her to go to the doctors. she knows what's important <3
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  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    When I was born, I had one surviving grandmother. She died when I was 2. Her kid sister, my father's aunt, lived to 93 and served the role for me. She died when I was 16. She inspires me with memories of her spitting tobacco-stained saliva into a cup she always carried. She had bacon, eggs, and a biscuit for breakfast every day, and used the biscuit to sop up the bacon grease. What a woman!
  • kace_kay wrote: »
    199m36ymekb3.jpg
    I mean... what was there not to like? One played beer pong at 78 years old and the other one was the funniest person ever. <3 ya'll don't ask yourselves where I get my crazy from.

    Omg lol I love them. I bet your granny killed at beer pong! So funny granny 2 is so stoked about panty liners :joy:

    The panty liner box was a cover up for a chain I had bought her, I just decided to use that box to wrap it up in :D:D<3 She hadn't even opened it yet and that was her reaction, that's the last picture I have of her, she was so funny <3
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  • slessofme
    slessofme Posts: 7,740 Member
    My dad's mom passed away about 14 years ago and her husband when I was in elementary school. I remember my mom would actively support me and my brothers not liking them, but that didn't deter them from loving us and being themselves. My grandma would call anytime there was something on PBS she thought we would like and the conversation always started "Honey, turn to channel 11...". My grandma was a big general term of endearment person, which my dad is not a fan of. We would get called honey, sweetie, etc, but my favorite looking back was "lover girl" - always said while giving me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I have a great pic of the two of us from my wedding that even my mom couldn't deny shows a lot of joy. Around the time my oldest was born she started using a scooter and when he was a little older she loved giving him rides up and down the assisted living halls. She taught me a lot about living joyfully.
  • SabAteNine
    SabAteNine Posts: 1,867 Member
    Both my grans are badasses.

    On my dad's side, gran 1 is the perfect example of a stoic. She was born in a well-off family so when colectivisation happened around here, they had everything taken away... and she was not allowed to go to Uni (which is why she terrorized dad and me to go become doctors. Neither of us is a doctor). Starting 13 when she was sent to boarding school, she took care of herself. She had typhoid when she was young, which led to a bad heart. She married, and almost died having my dad which is why she wasn't allowed to have other kids after him. She worked in accounting for state construction, 8.00 - 12.00 and then 14.00-22.00. Some days, midnight. She would come home during lunch break and take care of dad and my grandfather's immobilized mom (her MIL). She saved everything up and ran a tight ship.also she was beautiful as hell.

    Fast forward, she's now out living my grandfather for the last 15 years (she's 89 now). She had cancer surgeries, twice. She has angina and a stomach lining problem so she can't eat much. She lives alone since grandpa and doesn't want to come live in our city. Dad's finally convinced her to agree to bringing her over for a hospital visit this Christmas. She'll finally come by here and see what I did with the place.

    I love her. She is a *kitten* strong person, but... a maniac too. Obsessed with control and worrying. And she passed it on to my dad as well. She might have passed it on to me. When I had my rebel years she used to call me to argue for 3 hours every few days. That woman is a machine of getting *kitten* done her way. And she will outlive us all.

    Gran 2 in the next episode.
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  • SabAteNine
    SabAteNine Posts: 1,867 Member
    SabAteNine wrote: »
    Both my grans are badasses.

    On my dad's side, gran 1 is the perfect example of a stoic. She was born in a well-off family so when colectivisation happened around here, they had everything taken away... and she was not allowed to go to Uni (which is why she terrorized dad and me to go become doctors. Neither of us is a doctor). Starting 13 when she was sent to boarding school, she took care of herself. She had typhoid when she was young, which led to a bad heart. She married, and almost died having my dad which is why she wasn't allowed to have other kids after him. She worked in accounting for state construction, 8.00 - 12.00 and then 14.00-22.00. Some days, midnight. She would come home during lunch break and take care of dad and my grandfather's immobilized mom (her MIL). She saved everything up and ran a tight ship.also she was beautiful as hell.

    Fast forward, she's now out living my grandfather for the last 15 years (she's 89 now). She had cancer surgeries, twice. She has angina and a stomach lining problem so she can't eat much. She lives alone since grandpa and doesn't want to come live in our city. Dad's finally convinced her to agree to bringing her over for a hospital visit this Christmas. She'll finally come by here and see what I did with the place.

    I love her. She is a *kitten* strong person, but... a maniac too. Obsessed with control and worrying. And she passed it on to my dad as well. She might have passed it on to me. When I had my rebel years she used to call me to argue for 3 hours every few days. That woman is a machine of getting *kitten* done her way. And she will outlive us all.

    Gran 2 in the next episode.

    What’s colectivisation?

    The process through which all your base are now belong to everyone. But really, just the new regime elite.

    Kinda like this in practice - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivization_in_Romania
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    My grandma passed a really long time ago, she was 82. I did not know her very well as we moved here in 1972 when I was four. I think we went back to my birth state about 10 times before I moved out of my parents home, I do have some memories (also my grandpa was still alive) of my visits that I will always cherish.

    I've never met my dad's side of the family, so I only had one grandma. Looking back, I wish I had gotten to know the only grandma I had before she passed.

    The birth of my first grand child will be born on Dec 18th (she is inducing labor), so I hope to be a wonderful and super cool grandma.
  • Nicksmom106
    Nicksmom106 Posts: 1,624 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    My grandma passed a really long time ago, she was 82. I did not know her very well as we moved here in 1972 when I was four. I think we went back to my birth state about 10 times before I moved out of my parents home, I do have some memories (also my grandpa was still alive) of my visits that I will always cherish.

    I've never met my dad's side of the family, so I only had one grandma. Looking back, I wish I had gotten to know the only grandma I had before she passed.

    The birth of my first grand child will be born on Dec 18th (she is inducing labor), so I hope to be a wonderful and super cool grandma.

    Wishing you all the best honey!!!! Hugs!!! Your a gorgeous super cool lady so the grandma part will be easy peasy!!!! My son's is the 16th....best Xmas pressie ever!!!!💕😍🤗
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    My grandma passed a really long time ago, she was 82. I did not know her very well as we moved here in 1972 when I was four. I think we went back to my birth state about 10 times before I moved out of my parents home, I do have some memories (also my grandpa was still alive) of my visits that I will always cherish.

    I've never met my dad's side of the family, so I only had one grandma. Looking back, I wish I had gotten to know the only grandma I had before she passed.

    The birth of my first grand child will be born on Dec 18th (she is inducing labor), so I hope to be a wonderful and super cool grandma.

    Wishing you all the best honey!!!! Hugs!!! Your a gorgeous super cool lady so the grandma part will be easy peasy!!!! My son's is the 16th....best Xmas pressie ever!!!!💕😍🤗

    Awe, thanks so much. <3

    And happy birthday ... sweet 16. 🎂🎈
  • go_cubs
    go_cubs Posts: 1,183 Member
    I’m would always watch Shirley temple films with my grandma after school everyday
    Man I miss her