Tribute to Grandparents

The second Sunday of September is Grandparents Day in most countries worldwide, including the Philippines. As someone who grew up in a grandparents’ home, I am personally obligated to pay my own homage by outlining the lessons I learned from my own grandparents that until now I value so dearly and vow to share with anyone. By remembering and sharing these life lessons, I hope I am doing a worthwhile tribute.

Food is always essential. Both of my grandparents on my father’s side can cook and are excellent judge of good food. From an early age, I was trained to assist in the kitchen and later on learned to be a little chef myself. My grandmother used to tell me, “You cannot say something is delicious unless you know how to make something delicious.” So every time I eat great food, I am always reminded of my lola’s dictum and take a modest attempt at asking how such food were prepared. If I were to be born again, I think I will be a master in the kitchen.

My grannies taught me the power of food to unite people and to relieve a weary spirit. For us, food is not only what we put inside our stomach but also what we experience during eating. What is delicious in a food prepared by someone who is unwilling? What is satisfying in food served with hatred and garnished with callous words? How can we ever burp gladly if the person seated next to us is never happy of our happiness? Oh, if only our family dining table can talk!

Stories are great teachers. From fairy tales and urban myths to the affairs in showbiz and politics, my grandparents have an enormous storehouse of them. But even if most of their stories are repeated for the nth time, there is always something that I look forward to whenever my grannies tell me fictitious or factual events.

Whether these events were based on a true-to-life situation or products of their vibrant imagination is beyond question. What is important is the golden message that I can glean from the story.

In fact, it was my grandparents who taught me well about introspection. Our classroom environments forbid us from discussing the private lives of people. But at home, inside our own bedrooms, we can discuss anything – discussions without malice. With these discussions, we can reflect on our own situations and ponder on a life lesson. No classroom teacher can ever have the perfect perspective and context of stories that a learner should get based on individual needs and experiences, but a grandparent at home will have all the time in the world to share stories that even those in the pulpits covet.

Family is first. It is during our annual reunions at grannies’ home that we learn to appreciate the value of family and to imbibe the culture of togetherness. Our grandparents are the epitome of why families until this age and time are still relevant and needed. It is our grandparents who initially educated us on genealogy studies and trained us in public relations.

A crucial lesson that may be learned the hard way, though, is to understand that families can never be perfect and members are full of imperfections. Our grandparents coached us well in realizing that conflicts are but natural and resolutions will come at usual, whether we like them or not. My grandparents made me recognize that we can have many friends and can have another home anywhere; but, true to it, it is at home where the heart truly is and where one can always have a place.

Our grandparents may be weak physically, but for sure their spirit can never be weakened by time. They inspire us to see the beauty of life and the inevitability of death. They may be inferior in terms of educational attainment, but their wisdom derived from experience can never be equaled. They may be deafened and muted due to old age, but their plain existence can still speak volumes of languages of love.

An entire lifetime can never compensate the priceless possession we have in our grandparents. Our lolos and lolas are special gifts to us. Ah, I can never find a gift for them as special as they are, because no material gift will ever suffice, can my lowly effort at living their legacies be acceptable? Such is my sincerest tribute!