The Indian Grandma

Let's hear it for them, huh?

How many of you have one in your family or know of one raising grandkids?

I am sure almost everyone does. They care for their young like lions...well female lions. They are over-protective, aged with that Indian sense of humor and always come to the rescue for their grandchildren. Thank god for grandmothers.

I have my maternal and paternal grandmother still and "Indian way" I have many more...I am so lucky. My kids have their great grandmother on their dad's side. What a rock she is. She is 77 years old, still works serving meals for the ederly, everyday. She is currently raising one grandkid and 5 great-grandkids.
You know she told me once, "I never had a life of my own, I always raised someone else's kids, but if I don't do it who will? They are unsica(pitiful.)"

She walks with her head held high, she demands respect, not in a way where she tells you straight out to respect her, but her presence and her aura demand respect. I know I did her wrong once when I was helping make potato salad for some holiday and I drained all her pickle juice out of the pickles. She didn't say anything but the looks she gave me, I knew I had to find some pickle juice ASAP. She is a strong woman, I don't know one of her grandkids that are not scared of her.
In fact one of her grandsons, and I witnessed this, once said "Gram, can I call you the Dalai Lama?"
She responded "What? Why would you call me that?"
"Because when you walk in a room, everyone bows down to you." he said smiling.
"You don't call me nothing but grandma!" she said with a curse word thrown in there. That wiped the smile off his face and he put his head down. As soon as she went out of the room, we all laughed at him.
He did use a word to describe her, Matriarch. I looked this term up and he's right. Wikipedia says The term is usually applied to the oldest female in an extended family, who by virtue of her position has a degree of granted authority because others have trust in her.

Now how many of us know women like that? Let's hear it for the uncis! (Unci= pronounced oon-chee means grandmother.) If they didn't raise us, they sure had a hand in raising us. They passed on all their virtues of respect, heart, hope, humor, and most important of all love. To all my dozen or so grandma's reading this, I love you all. (I really should have saved this for Mother's Day! *josh*)
As for you gacas, (grandpas) I will be writing in the paper about you soon.