Written by Suraj Shah, inspired by the enlightened.
A grandmother is a source of great love, patience and kindness, subtly balancing lightness and strength.
Through her day-to-day presence, she keeps the family together, diffusing minor mundane conflicts and building bonds of support. We often taken it for granted that she will be around forever, but when she leaves, she is certainly missed.
Grandmothers are a source of wisdom and inspiration. Recently I met two young people whose grandmothers have been an inspiration to their new businesses (one sources timeless Indian jewellery and the other prepares luxury Indian chocolates). At the heart of their businesses is a constant reminder of their heritage, and I expect wrapped within that are a toolbox of values for conducting themselves in amongst the demands of a fast-paced world.
Since a young age, certain values have been passed down by my grandma, which my siblings and I work hard to live up to and improve on, day upon day. These values include:
- hard work
- good judgement
- courage
- integrity
- sacrifice
- support
- understanding
These are certainly the same values that I see shining through my brother, my parents, my cousins, uncles and aunts. These are perhaps the same values that my business-running friends also hold close to their hearts, the very same values that permeate through our Indian heritage, and the global village.
So I am thankful for the treasury gifted to us by our elders, and yet am constantly reminded that the time is now to continue the work done so well by those before us.
It’s been three years since you passed on, my dear Nanima. I salute you for the values you diligently worked to blend into our everyday existence.
On this day in remembrance of our grandma, Smitamasi (my aunt) captured the essence of Nanima’s life in this one line: “your smile was made of sunshine”. That just about sums it up for me.