An Interview with a Grandma

It was the 25th of August, the day I came to my grandparents’ home to visit and to interview. I was rather nervous. I haven’t really talked to my grandma before. We had a few exchanges here and there, a few greetings, but that was all. Well, what can I say; I haven’t really had the chance to get to know my grandparents until now.

I was born in a country far away, and spent fifteen years of my life there since then. I had only managed to be with my grandparents almost every short months in a year, and all I did then was eat, play, be a headache, and sleep.

I don’t really know much of the life people spent here. Even if I am a Filipino citizen, I don’t really care much on the hardships of the people in my country are facing. Let’s look at it this way; I was kid, who was living in a life of luxury. And I was also a kid who was way too ignorant about the world. I was a young teenager who only cared about whether she’d fit in in her school since she’s been socially challenged ever since she was little. She’d been bullied when she was younger. She was ignored and left to herself most of the time. And she has only managed to finally break through that great wall and made friends at the last two years of her high school life. Those were the only things she cared about.

Having interviewed my grandma changed my perspective. I may always be struggling in connecting with people, even with those who I have known for years, but I am not alone. Even my grandma faces this challenge, though she doesn’t consider this as one. She was a bit hesitant to talk with me, to share her experiences. She had said before I started the interview, we both don’t know how to do this thing properly. But we still did anyway.

Without any other concern on relating her somewhat harsh childhood, she told me her story. I learned that her family was poor. She didn’t finish her schooling then, and all she worried about back then was how to make her and her family’s life better. I learned that even after she met grandpa, they still both struggled; even if grandpa had a land to tend to from his father. Still, she didn’t let these things faze her. She worked hard to gain happiness and to reach the life she’s in now.

I learned that even though we both have different things to worry about, even she has already lived most of her life and I still have yet to live mine, even if we are different people, one thing is for sure. It was the fact that she taught me. She taught me that working hard for something that you are very determined to do, no matter how big or how small, the rewards will always be great, and the relief will always be accompanied with this sense of accomplishment.

I believe this to be true in every aspect. And I hope that I will always be living by this principle every step of the way in this journey of life.

– Audrey Agustin