Tag Archives: grandparents

Another Way to Say …

Every few days, my grandmother, Popo, sends me emojis: cows, camels, suns or blueberries. Sometimes they’re accompanied by a confusing, punctuation-less string of words, but they often come alone. Our language barrier — her Chinese and my English — is … Continue reading

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Now I Know Why

After Hazel and I got married at the ages of 20 and 21, I questioned our judgment in choosing to marry so young. When we had a baby soon after, I wondered how I could possibly support a family. In … Continue reading

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Love

My grandson, a toddler on the go, and I, his grandfather with Parkinson’s, have a closeness around matters of motion. He knows that I can’t carry or lift him, so he climbs into my lap. It worries me that he … Continue reading

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An Open Purse on the Park Bench

My grandmother’s purse sat open and unattended on a park bench in the 1950s Bronx. Alarmed, my young mother said, “Mom, your purse is open!” “It’s OK, honey,” my grandmother said. “If someone takes it, they need it more than … Continue reading

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Gram Loves You. Please Call.’

My grandmother Ruth was like a secret agent. Before cellphones or the internet, she would covertly track her grandchildren. At 23, I moved to Mexico to work for a resort. I was, at last, on my own. One night, while … Continue reading

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