Last week was my Grandmother’s 91st birthday. She is LITERALLY an OG. Let me tell you…
My grandmother, Ruth Frankfurt (formerly known as Ruth Levy), was born on September 15, 1925 in Brooklyn, NY. She was born to Russian immigrant parents who could barely speak a word of English. But, do not worry my bubba’s Yiddish would make you plotz (fall) on the floor!
She was raised in the Depression Era with her parent’s barely able to scrap by to keep the lights on (or you know for food, the essentials). She could not afford to spend money on 10-year-old luxury items such as candy, clothing, and toys. But, none of that stopped her from achieving her goals. She was the first person in her family to go college; the first class of women to be accepted into New York City College. You better believe her parents shepped nachas(feeling proud) on her. Ruth was the ORIGINAL FEMINISTS you hear about in textbooks (I’m not saying she was Candy Stanton, but basically pretty close).
While in college she got engaged at 19 and almost got married. But then her fiancé tried to trap her into that housemother lifestyle by saying she would have babies and only keep the house and she was like “uh uh not happening!!!” After getting her degree in science and education she went on to get a job in a hospital. Since her career life was going so well, it was time to move on to the more important things, like getting a husband.
She, (her mother), were really looking for Mr. Right. My grandmother attracted very smart men, people who got Rhodes scholars, went on to have inventions named after themselves, you know the usual. Meanwhile, I’m over here like can you notice me garbage can? Anyway, back to Ruth. Not only did she date very smart guys, she also dated them all at the same time. If one of her guys was out of the country getting an important award or you know whatever, she would date someone else. Ruth is not the type of person to sit on her butt and wait for some guy to make a move, she goes out and gets what she wants. Because if guys can do it, you better believe a woman can!
Finally, she met the guy who she would argue with when the temperature was too cold or when she wanted to go shopping and needed the car, my grandfather. My grandfather asked my grandmother to marry him and said NO, the first time. This for a woman where in the 1950s most of her friends were married and had kids by the time they were legal to drink. My grandmother said no at 30 years old because she just did not feel ready to get married. But do not worry, two years later she came to her senses and married my Grandfather Meyer.
They went on to have three kids and live a blissful 32 married lives. And she is still living her life. She still curses and sticks her middle figure out to a cab driver that try to cut her off in traffic. Ruth will still tell me to stand up straight and make sure I have make up on to attract the boys. She still loves all her kids and four grandkids and encourages us to do well and follow our dreams. And these are all the reasons why I love her and think that is she an OG.
