Thank you for being there for me always, Grandma.

Earlier this year, I lost both of my maternal grandparents to Covid.  They passed away 2.5 days apart of one another.  I was devastated because my grandma was my first best friend.  She was always there for me, every step of the way.  And in the end, I couldn’t even be there for her when she took her last breath because of Covid restrictions. 

Today, I’d like to share a semi-funny and embarrassing incident that happened to me.  This happened during my first week of my freshman year in High School.  Growing up, our family was very protective of us.  From pre-k all the way through junior high, we weren’t allowed to walk to school alone or with our friends.  Our grandma would walk us to school every day and picked us up every day, from pre-k all through 6^th grade, rain, or shine.  Our grandma didn’t know how to drive.  When we started Jr High, it was too far of a trek for her so my mom would pick us up and drop us off every day.  I suppose they were worried that we’d either ditch school with our friends or get kidnapped.  We were very sheltered growing up.  While our friends started to watch “grown up” shows like Party of 5 or Beverly Hills 90210, we were fighting for the remote so we can catch our favorite afternoon cartoons!

Finally, when I started high school, my high school was a brisk 10-minute walk from home.  During my first week, my cousins that lived on a different street had forgotten to swing by and pick me up on the way so we could walk together.  For the first time in my life, I felt like I finally had some freedom, I was “forced” to walk to school alone.  But with my luck, not even half a block away from home, I walked by a car with the windows rolled down and I happened to turn my head to look, I saw a man with his genitals in full view and he was touching himself.  At 13 years old, I was mortified!!  I started to walk faster when I suddenly heard his car start.  I truly thought that this was how my life was going to end.  I thought he was going to kidnap me and kill me because I saw him naked!!  But luckily, he drove in the opposite direction that I was walking.  When I got to school, I was nearly in tears.  When I finally saw my cousins, I told them what happened, and they laughed at me. 

The next morning, I called my cousins to remind them to come pick me up so we could walk to school together.  However, on the following morning, I didn’t call, thinking they’d remember me, but they forgot about me, AGAIN!  I was so traumatized that I cried and said I didn’t want to go to school.  My grandma asked me why I was afraid to walk to school alone and I finally told her what happened.  She chuckled at me and walked me to school.  She held my hand all the way.  When we got to the end of our street, I told her I can walk the rest of the way, but she said it’s okay, I’ll walk you all the way.  My tiny little Grandma walked me all the way to the front steps of my high school, still holding my hand.  I was so embarrassed!  I wasn’t embarrassed of her, but I was embarrassed that I needed an adult to walk me to school.    

As I sit here, thinking of her, and missing her, I wish I could hold her hands now and never have to let go.  Anyone and everyone that has met my grandma, instantly fell in love with her.  She was the sweetest and cutest little old lady anyone has met.  No matter your gender, sexual preference or skin color, she’d speak to you in Cantonese and ask you if you’ve eaten yet and offer to feed you.