It pains me whenever I hear people complaining about seeing their grandparents. I understand it might not be the most thrilling experience, however it’s something a lot of people take for granted. Perhaps this opinion roots from my own experience, since almost everyone of my relatives still lives in Iran. I barely see my grandparents, maybe once every 5 years. I never know when the next time I will see them is, and we barely even know anything about each other. Yes, I do speak Farsi, however my fluency seems to drift away whenever I’m talking to anyone other than my parents. My vocabulary soon morphs into just “yes” and “no”. This verbal wall is hard to overcome. I try to appreciate every second I can spend with them, studying every detail of their face so I will never forget. 

The last time I saw them, we played a card game and ordered pizza. I made the effort to remember that memory, and I still recall that day very vividly. My grandmother gave me some of the things she had when she was my age, and my grandfather told me how unfair women are still treated in that country. We drank tea and ate fresh fruit. It’s crazy how “organic” and “all natural” are not marketed the same way. All produce is organic, and trust me, with just one taste you can tell. Almost every time the family gets together, our family goes to them, not vice versa. However, around six years ago, my grandparents came to the United States to stay with us for a bit. They enjoyed their time (and the McDonald’s fish sandwiches they absolutely adored) for about two weeks. 

Now, they are coming back to The States. For good. Both of my grandparents are well into their 90’s, so this will probably be there last venture. I love them both dearly, however this has put much too much pressure on my mother. Both of her parents are going to live with us. My mother has a full time job, a full time family, and now full time parents. Yes, my father and I will also need to sacrifice a lot of our time to assist my grandparents, however my mom feels it’s her obligation. She suggested they come here, however she doesn’t seem too thrilled they actually accepted She obviously loves them to great lengths, but that’s what is hurting her. She loves them so much it scares her. They spent their whole lives in Iran, and decided to just leave it all behind and live in our basement for the rest of their lives. I do not know what prompted their decision, but all I hope is that they are happy with their choice. I suppose now I am one that I despises; Someone who complains about seeing their grandparents.