I have two grandmothers. One I call “Mima” and the other I call “Grandma,” and they are much, much cooler than I am. They are two completely different women, coming from two completely different sides of the globe, but they somehow have these 10 things in common about each one of them.

1. She is the beacon of brutal honesty in your life.

You know if you ever gain a few pounds your freshman year of college or have a terrible haircut, your grandma is probably the first person to blurt out “oh my” when you walk into the room. She doesn’t say this to hurt you, but she simply does not have a filter to hide her ever so brutal opinion. Yeah, at first it’s a little offensive, but at least you know there’s always one person that will be 100 percent honest with you. She teaches you that honesty is important, and sometimes you need someone to tell you your haircut sucks.

2. She has a story for everything.

When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. She has a story for just about every subject you bring up. School, shopping, family, distant relatives, that old lady down the street. You name it, she has something to say about it. Yeah, this excessive story telling can become annoying (especially when you have heard the same story about Betty and her two dogs down the street 100 times), but in the end, you love hearing her life stories and experiences. There is always something to be learned.

3. She makes you appreciate life.

She is always telling you how you should be more grateful, and how “in her time they had to walk uphill both ways to get to school.” She helps you remember how fortunate you are.

4. She’s been through more than you can imagine.

Both of my grandmothers are in their late 70s. A lot can happen in 70 years. They have experienced war and they have experienced loss. There is a lot to be learned from someone who can live through tragedy and continue to put his or her family first. A grandmother never wants to see one of her children or grandchildren pass before herself. I have my full respect for a woman who can hold a family together post-tragedy, when all she wants to do is fall apart.

5. She loves you unconditionally (and takes your side).

Yup, unconditionally. When you have really messed up, to the point where your parents are furious with you, your grandma will be the one to calm you down (and maybe put a good word in for you to your parents). She is there to soothe you and to love you no matter what. Her doors and ears are always open and she knows how to help you get back on your feet.

6. She lets you do things your parents never did.

Grandma’s house is the place to be as a kid. She’s the one who let you jump on her furniture and play "lava" all day long, or the one who would take you to that really cool indoor kid’s park that all of us remember from our childhood. She always had control, but she let you have fun every second with her.

7. She gives you more credit than you deserve.

WAY more credit than you deserve. Your grandma is the person that will tell all of her friends about that 93 on your math test. She makes a huge deal out of every little accomplishment, but that is just because she is your biggest fan. You are a huge part of her life and she thinks the world of you. She will always be the first person to brag about you, so just appreciate it.

8. She cooks and bakes everything with love.

NOM. Everything that comes out of a grandma’s oven just seems to be touched by the hand of God. I’m talking lasagna, casseroles, roasts, cakes, cookies, pork chops, and anything else you can think of. I am convinced that each grandma has passed culinary school with flying colors. I just don’t see how that couldn’t be the case.

9. She could not care less about what people think of her.

Yeah, she gives zero sh*ts. She will say whatever she wants to whomever she wants. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the brutally honest trait every grandma carries. She has lived through many decades, and at this point in her life, she knows that there is no point in caring about others’ opinions. It’s her life and by golly she will live it the way she wants to. Oh, if only everyone felt the same way.

10. She never asks for anything in return.

And most importantly, the reason your grandma is probably cooler than you is because she never expects anything in return. We live in a give and take society where most acts of kindness are expected to have some sort of reward, but Grandma simply just asks for a phone call or an invitation to lunch.

Call your Grandma. She would love to hear from you.

P.S. I love you Mima and Grandma.