My Remarkable 94-Year-Old Grandmother

A tribute of sorts to my grandmother

At the time of this writing, it is January 1st, 2024. My grandmother is 94 years old, and today she has taken a nasty fall. As a result, she was taken to the hospital, where she was told she has a broken hip.

My grandmother raised me, and she is my mother figure. She is the woman I have always respected the most, and she is one of the main reasons I am the way I am.

As of now, she remains in the ER, and I plan on visiting her tomorrow. But if there’s one thing I know: falls, broken hips, congestive heart failure, and extremely old age can absolutely mean the end.

But, I’m writing this article as a way to celebrate her life, and the impact she has had on me. She’s truly a remarkable woman, and whatever I write will not even come close to conveying how much respect, love, and admiration I have for her.

Brief Overview: Early Life & Background

My grandmother had a good upbringing. Her mother and father didn’t come from money, but they managed to make things work. She was raised mainly in New England, USA. She’s also lived in New York.

The best way I can describe her is:

. She has high values

. Extremely resilient

. Superb kindness

. Mental toughness

. Emotional toughness

And the list goes on and on.

She’s big on honesty, respect, and being kind no matter what. But she is also huge on honesty, and telling it like it is, but in an extremely respectful way.

She was a hard worker, and took on many retail jobs; And she continued to work full-time, while taking care of several kids.

Events She Has Lived Through & Talked About

As you can imagine, living until 94 means being alive through many events. Throughout the many years, my grandmother has talked about lots of events she has lived through, and has gone into a bit of detail about many of them.

If I were to write about everything she has talked about, this article would easily become a novel. Long story short, a few of the key events she has lived through and/or has talked about with me include:

. The Great Depression

. World War II

. Cold War

. Civil Rights Movement

. The Great Migration

. And many, many more

Presidencies She Has Lived Through

My grandmother has lived through many presidencies. This includes:

. Herbert Hoover

. Franklin D. Roosevelt

. Harry S. Truman

. Dwight D. Eisenhower

. John F. Kennedy

. Lyndon B. Johnson

. Richard Nixon

. Gerald Ford

. Jimmy Carter

. Ronald Reagan

. George H. W. Bush

. Bill Clinton

. George W. Bush

. Barack Obama

. Donald Trump

. Joe Biden

That is a whole lot of Presidencies to have lived through!

Life Lessons & Values

Be kind and resilient; And do your best to not do horrible things. I’ve learnt so many “life lessons” from my grandmother, but that pretty much sums it up.

My grandmother is so emotionally strong and mentally strong. I remember when she was 81 years old, she was pretty homebound and didn’t want to go out.

Regular Walks From 81 Years Old

I don’t know what kicked it off or what prompted me to do so, but I started encouraging her to go for regular walks with me. No joking around:

. She struggled and had to turnaround after going a little farther than out of the driveway.

. As weeks gone by, she started to walk a tad but further.

. After a few months she was able to walk a good distance

. Eventually she was walking at a brisk pace with me, and for around 30–45 minutes

. Before, the same route would take 2 hours, and it was quite a lengthy one

. At one point I was walking with her to the doctor’s. Her doctor was so surprised when she found out she was walking, and she encouraged my grandmother to keep up the good work.

And then she kept up walking for the next 10 years. She kept up, but eventually had to shorten them.

Walking, Conversations, And Wisdom

I always knew my grandmother had an interesting life. But those walks I’ve done with her are priceless memories that I cherish.

I’ve learnt so many things about my grandmother that I never even knew. Heck, her own kids didn’t even know some of the stuff she told me!

Every little bit of me that’s kind, compassionate, soft, big hearted. . . . Every good quality and trait I possess is mainly because of her. I cannot stress that enough.

Her Impact on Others

My grandmother has impacted way too many people to mention. From friends to immediate family to distant family members, and lots of people she has come in contact with.

To shorten things up, everyone who has ever met my grandmother and spent considerable amount of time around her has always shared my sentiment: she was kind; Extremely kind, non-judgmental, and had a way to make everyone feel comfortable.

She’s been a:

. Mentor to many people

. A nurturer to many people

. A source of inspiration to many people

And if anyone has ever spoken with my grandmother, even briefly, they can kind of get a sense that she is all of those things; And much more.

Cherished Memories

I have way too many memories to include throughout this article. But every single little memory is such a huge memory to me.

I remember as a kid my grandmother used to love listening to the radio. She still does. She absolutely loved listening to music from the Frank Sinatra era.

I used to hear all sorts of classic music blaring from the radio; First thing in the mornings I would hear it, and she would be singing along with the tunes.

And as previously mentioned, our walks together are now cherished memories to me. Big and small, the number of memories I have with her are countless.

Gratitude & Reflection

I’m incredibly thankful to have my grandmother, and for her to have made it to 94 years old is remarkable in my book.

The bottom line is my grandmother is the key person who played a huge role in my life, has helped shaped me, and has instilled kindness within me. That only scratches the surface.

Hope For The Best. . .But

I don’t really have much else to say. As of now, she’s still in the hospital, but she is in bad shape. And there still has not been any word about the surgery or if they’ll go through with the surgery.

I’m going to keep on hoping for the best, but I have prepared for the absolute worst case scenario.

I love my grandmother; I admire her; And I will always remember her right up until it’s my turn to pass.