When Was The Last Time You Told Your Grandparents That You Loved Them? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Relationships

When Was The Last Time You Told Your Grandparents That You Loved Them?

I Miss My Grandparents.

60
When Was The Last Time You Told Your Grandparents That You Loved Them?
Chance The Rapper

The last time I was able to see both of my grandmothers, I was seven years old. My parents decided to take my sister and I to live in Mexico for a little less than a year in order for us to get to know who our other family was. I don't remember much about my father's mother except for the fact that she barely spoke Spanish. Instead she spoke Nahuatl. My mother's mom did speak Spanish and she is the one I quickly connected to as I saw a lot of my mom's characteristics in her. Loving, caring, but also tough when it was called for. (Mostly when I decided to act up and leave the house to go buy some papas at the corner store.)

I have been back to Mexico once after that, and by then I only had one grandmother to go back and hug. Both my grandfathers are still up and going but they are harder to speak to. (Considering I am a mamas' boy.)

My sister and I are lucky enough to have been able to meet our grandparents. Our younger bother, a sophomore in high school, has only heard their voice through the phone. While he wishes to meet them soon, airplane tickets have been out of the reach for several year.

When I was away for college, away from my parents, from the city and from the Spanish community that brought me up, there was always one thing that I envied of other students. During family weekend there would be hundreds of families on our small campus checking up on their kids and seeing where it was that my friends studied... and partied. My friends would always put on their cleanest clothes and make sure to look their sharpest. A lot of the time it was because they had their grandparents visit as well. Some of them have explained to me the role their grandmother or grandfather have had in their lives. Some have learned how to be more mature, learned how to make a specific food dish, love a specific sports team, and a few have idealized a grandparent for their profession to the point where they dedicated their college major to those who once changed their pampers when mom or dad was out of the house. I was never upset at their stories but I was aware that the relationship that my friends had with their grandparents was something I missed in my life.

I am sharing this not to have you feel sorry for me but rather to have you know that this is the story of millions of students who are first generation Americans. Our parents made the decision to leave their country to give us the right to be called American citizens even when they knew that they may never get to hug their own parents again. While some of you may see your grandmother or grandfather as just another set of adults in your life, remember that they are gifts. Somewhere down your own family history, a family member lived without a grandma and grandpa so that you didn't have to.

The next time you are with your grandparents remember to give them a kiss and hold them tight. Not because they may not be there tomorrow, but because they are there in front of you, at that very moment.


Abuela, abuelo, los amo con todo mi corazón y les prometo que nos veremos pronto.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

4039
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
kid
Janko Ferlic
Do as I say, not as I do.

Your eyes widen in horror as you stare at your phone. Beads of sweat begin to saturate your palm as your fingers tremble in fear. The illuminated screen reads, "Missed Call: Mom."

Growing up with strict parents, you learn that a few things go unsaid. Manners are everything. Never talk back. Do as you're told without question. Most importantly, you develop a system and catch on to these quirks that strict parents have so that you can play their game and do what you want.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
tv.com

"Friends" maybe didn’t have everything right or realistic all the time, but they did have enough episodes to create countless reaction GIFs and enough awesomeness to create, well, the legacy they did. Something else that is timeless, a little rough, but memorable? Living away from the comforts of home. Whether you have an apartment, a dorm, your first house, or some sort of residence that is not the house you grew up in, I’m sure you can relate to most of these!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments