My Grandma Was My Best Roommate

Summary

The author cherishes the unique experience of living with their grandmother, Marion Johnston, while attending college, valuing the daily kindness and independence she maintained in their shared family home.

Abstract

The article titled "My Grandma Was My Best Roommate" reflects on the author's college experience living at home with their grandmother. Despite the non-traditional arrangement, the author expresses gratitude for the time spent with their grandmother, Marion Johnston, who lived in a basement apartment within the family home. This living situation allowed the author to support her by doing chores like laundry and bringing dinner, while receiving her invaluable encouragement and wisdom. The author acknowledges that while they might have missed out on the typical college experience of living away from home, the trade-off was a cherished relationship with their grandmother, filled with daily acts of kindness and mutual support.

Opinions

The author values the time spent with their grandmother during college, considering it a unique and positive experience.
There is a sense of regret for not having the "typical" college experience, but it is outweighed by the appreciation for the time with their grandmother.
The author believes that living with their grandmother was mutually beneficial, allowing her to remain independent while they received her gentle guidance and encouragement.
The author expresses gratitude towards Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 for a warm welcome and a fun prompt about roommates, indicating a positive community experience through storytelling.

Her kindness helped me daily

Photo by the Author: Trista Signe Ainsworth. My Grandma Marion Johnston

For college, I was a commuter student and lived at home. I took the bus back and forth to Portland State University five days a week. Sometimes I regret not having the typical experience of going away to college. However, I am lucky that I had a great roommate at home, my grandma.

My grandma lived with us in our family home in a basement apartment.

It was beautiful to have her there with us, and she could remain independent.

Every day when I came home from classes, I would check in on her, do her laundry and bring her some dinner.

In return, she always had a kind, encouraging word for me. She was a quiet, gentle soul, and I learned so much from her.

Perhaps going away to college would have afforded me different experiences, but I will always cherish those moments with grandma.

Thank you to Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) for her warm welcome to The Brain Is A Noodle. Thank you for the fun prompt about roommates. I look forward to connecting with all of you through your stories.