Grandmas are Amazing

For my "Grammi" and "Gramma R"

I lost my grandma on Dad's side last spring. Though you know it is something that will eventually happen, you are never ready. Her health had been declining for some time, but she was still independent and we had just recently moved her and grandpa into a new apartment. Thankfully I was able to be with her near the end, about 20 minutes before, in fact. I won't presume that it was any harder for me than others, but it was incredibly difficult. I had the privilege of growing up blocks away from my grandparents, and they were generally the babysitters of first resort. I think I spent almost as many hours at my grandparents as my own home. It was even harder, I think, considering I lost my grandparents on my mom's side already, about 8 years before.

I spent even more time with Grandma Hensel. In my very young years "Grammi" would humor me by playing hide and seek, letting me explore all the old junk stored away in the den and making me "square fish" (Gordon's fish fillets) and tater tots. There was also always fresh Orange juice from concentrate and a PB&J sandwich in the shape of a pinwheel waiting for me at lunch time.

I bring all this up because we went for a birthday celebration at Raia's grandma and grandpa's this past weekend. When we were there over Christmas, I took a particular liking to a baked good called тиквеник (tikvenik). It's a sweet concoction made with layers of filo dough and pumpkin. When I say I liked it, I mean I ate about a kilo of it. There was even an unofficial contest between Raia's aunt and I as to who could eat more.

Before heading out of Sofia this weekend, I half jokingly brought up the tikvenik wondering at the likely hood of there being some for us when we arrived. Raia informed me that the small pumpkins needed were, in fact, out of season, thus insuring my hopes would go unfulfilled.

Resigned as I was to a tikvenikless fate, there was of course still a small hope in the back of my mind, since grandmas are capable of the greatest of surprises. Once we arrived and settled in, there were of course the inevitable inquiries: "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Do you need anything? Do you want anything? Please, let me get you something..."

"OK grandma, what do you have for a snack?" "Oh, just some tikvenik."

I won't presume it was solely for my benefit, but apparently Baba Raina had frozen the particular required pumpkin. Recalling how much I had enjoyed it, she made up a batch and had it waiting for us when we arrived.

It may be a little thing, but that's the incredible ability of grandmas: to take the greatest pleasure in and pay attention to the little things that effect their loved ones. I don't know if it is because they have been through everything, but nothing seems to bother them (that is except for caterpillars. You never mentioned caterpillars around grandma Hensel).

On a deeper level, grandmas just know stuff. Whether it's the foods you like or the things that are really important. I think that's why they are able to look past all the things we tend to get caught up in, the silly things that we think are so important. And also why the love that I've known from my grandmas is the closest thing I've known to unconditional love.