Grandparents are precious and special. I was fortunate to have spent quality time with my Grandparents during my childhood days. I still cherish them. I remember what they have done for me. I usually visit my native pace during March and April months after my annual school exams. First, I visit my Mother’s village named Thirukodikaval, which is two hours from Thanjavur District.
It was in this village the legendary Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was born and then migrated to another village. I will be in the village for around 25 days. I also visit another village nearby to meet one of my Uncle. The moment I reach home, my grandfather will not be available in the house. He used to visit a nearby town to purchase sweets for me. I can still remember the taste of Sambar and crispy Appalam originating from the kitchen. I will have to eat under the old 60W bulb, which will be very interesting.
My Father’s village is another two hours from this place. The house is big where you will see the end door while opening the door. I am still unable to forget the days I spent with them. It was a great moment to cherish.
I will spend with my grandparents in a unique way. Firstly, I will ask if they remember the old days. I will also tell the stories I remember. My Grandparents helped me a lot when I was unwell. It’s my turn to help them since they have become old. I will ask my grandmother to sit and will serve food. I will also help her to wash hands. I will buy a Tamil newspaper and share them with my grandmother. I will most probably help her by cutting vegetables.
I have scanned all the old images. I will copy them to my smartphone or tablet and show them to my Grandmother. I am sure that it will make her happy. My Grandmother is currently facing a problem with ear but if I show the old images, then I think it will help her to recollect the old days.
Till a few years back, I used to communicate with my Grandmother via letters and post cards. With the rapid evolution of technology, the mode of communication has changed to the telephone. I am planning to gift my Grandmother with a smartphone during my next visit. I will install WhatsApp and will teach her the usage. Hence, she will be able to pass messages as and when she desires without waiting for my phone call once in a while. The video call functionality will be useful since she can watch me in person while speaking. I think we have to teach our Grandparents regarding the usage of smart messaging apps so that they can exchange messages without waiting for a long time.
I will try to scan all the old images and copy them to the smartphone. I also have several old videos captured using my old camera. Right now, I am planning to upload to YouTube and share with my cousin’s WhatsApp group. I will also show the old videos to my Grandmother. I also have an old photo of my Grandmother, who is seen chopping Vegetables. The existence of conventional film camera is a real blessing in disguise because I can now feel the pulse of old images.
I am planning to spend Grandparents day by sharing the available old images over my Cousin’s WhatsApp group along with a discussion about the memories of the old days.
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I look forward to hear from you how would you celebrate Grandparents Day. Do share a selfie with your grandparents on Sept. 10, 2017 on Twitter or Facebook with #LoveJatao & tag @blogadda to win a goodie from Parachute Advansed.
