Family counts at all ages

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Four years ago, when I was in high school, my grandmother moved in with my family.

I remember the day clearly. Our basement, now โ€œgrandmaโ€™s apartment,โ€ was overflowing with her possessions from a life spanning many years.

There was her infinite collection of watercolour paintings, a multitude of native sculptures and a library of mystery novels.

To fit all these things into such a small space seemed like an impossible task but somehow we made it work.

Things have changed a lot since then.

I am now 20 years old and all the boxes have been unpacked.
I would not describe her living space as cluttered; everything has a place, save for a few canvases tucked behind the sofa.

There are paintings on the walls โ€“ many that she created โ€“ for every inch of available space.

Her home is best described as a gallery of her life; a seemingly sacred place seen when one descends down the stairs.

One area houses a king-size bed that made the trip from Cote St. Luc, Quebec and a kitchen table where at one time my father โ€“ her son โ€“ sat for dinner.

By the sliding doors is her drafting table, cups of brushes and bottles of paint.

She spends many hours re-creating the small collection of flowers she tends to outside just beyond the glass.

I could never lament my grandma moving in with us.

Although I am not home all the time, I value the presence of her wisdom.

I can talk to her whenever I want to; she is always there to listen with non-judging eyes.

The experience of having three generations under one roof is an invaluable one.

It is a practice seldom experienced in Western culture but followed like a religion in other walks of life.

There is an Chinese proverb that says: โ€œIf you have an elderly person in the family, itโ€™s like you have a treasure in the family.โ€

If you look at Islam, the Quran addresses this issue specifically in this passage: โ€œโ€ฆbe kind to your parents.
If one or both parents reach old age with you, children do not say to them a word of disrespect, or scold them, but say a generous word to them.

And act humbly to them in mercy, and say, โ€˜My Lord, have mercy on them, since they cared for me when I was small.โ€™

With age should come respect, not disregard.

I hear stories of nursing homes and the systematic โ€œstorageโ€ of senior citizens.

In fact, my grandmother has expressed to me on more than one occasion that sheโ€™d rather not be on this earth at all than suffer such a fate.

It is my intent to not let that happen.

She recently had an accident where she broke her leg. Unfortunately, her 82-year-old bones will keep her in the hospital for a few months, but sheโ€™ll be back soon enough.

It is my hope that she will remain in our home for the rest of her life.

It was not until she lived with us that I have grown close and learned about the loving, talented, creative person she is.
This woman who lives with us is not a tenant; she is a mother, grandmother, family.

Without her we are just a sketch; with her we are awarded a dynamic and vibrant life experience โ€“ the kind that you donโ€™t fully realize until itโ€™s gone.


Serving the Waterloo campus, The Cord seeks to provide students with relevant, up to date stories. Weโ€™re always interested in having more volunteer writers, photographers and graphic designers.