my grandma with me
The meaning of happiness is different for everyone.
As for my kids, they will be very happy when they get some new toys, books or clothes. They will be very happy when we bring them to the amusement park.
As for me, I will be very happy when my husband tell me that we will go somewhere for holiday, because I love to go traveling.
Some people would be very happy when they can earn lots of money, their business success, when they are getting married or giving birth the baby, etc.
How about you?
How about the happiness for the elderly?
I still have my grandma and she is 84 years old now. Though she cannot walk anymore, but she is in a very healthy condition. I am thinking to do something for her to make her happy. But what should I do?
My grandma lives alone since my grandpa passed away around 14 years ago. She is a very strong woman. She loves to joking. She is very good in cooking, my favorite food that she always cooked for me whenever I stayed for few days at her house was French Bean with Prawn. She loved to bake cake. She is good in playing piano. I remember that she always had candies and will give it to her grandchildren every time we came to visit her and my grandpa. And she still has that habit until now. Now she will offer it to her great grandchildren. She loves all her children (6 children). Now she has 19 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
Last time when I studied overseas, I bought her a bag and I gave it to her when I visited her. She looked happy and accepted the bag. But I noticed that it is not what she really wanted.
Last month, on the school holiday, I went back with my kids. My husband cannot went back with us because he had so many things to do in the office. I went back together with my cousin and also her two kids. I thought about a plan to make a reunion of my grandma’s family. When I was young, we always had a gathering on Chinese new year, my grandpa’s birthday or my grandma’s birthday. I notice since my grandpa passed away, this gathering also slowly disappear. I know that everyone is busy with their own business and family.
My grandma lives in Central of Java and 4 of her 6 children also live in Central of Java. Another two live in another state, but also in Java. I discussed with my husband and my cousin who also stay in Singapore about the reunion. I was so happy when I heard that my husband and my cousin gave their full support to my idea.
I started to called my parents and my aunties who live in Central of Java. And they agreed to have this reunion. One of them said that she also miss the reunion that we always had years before. We worked all together to make this reunion come true 🙂
Initially, they worried if my grandma reject to come to this reunion. I heard that sometime my grandma doesn’t want to go out for lunch or dinner because she cannot walk anymore. But this time I was very sure that she will have a great time because she will not only meet her children and grand children. But she will also meet some of her great grandchildren. I tried to convince my parents and my aunties that my grandma will agree to go out for dinner and will have a great time.
Once I got confirmation from everybody, I went out with my mom and my auntie to make a reservation in a restaurant. I was so glad that all my grandma’s children, grandchildren and also great grandchildren who were in town came for the reunion.
My grandma said that she was confused because too many people and she cannot really remember all of her grandchildren, especially her great-grandchildren. Sometime she will ask the same question more than two times, and will keep ask about the name of her grand children, sometime she called her grandchildren wrongly. But I can see from my grandmother’s facial expressions, she was very happy that night.
Great grandma with her great grandsons
My parents and one of my auntie told me that on that night, after the dinner, my grandma said that she didn’t want to go home. She was overjoy. I was touched and happy when I heard about it.
Yeah, I, myself was also very happy with this reunion and especially that we can do this together again after some years idle. I believe that all my aunties and uncles, my parents, my brother and my cousins were all happy to stay together for dinner that night. It’s been a long time, I can sit down again together with this big family. I was also pleased when I saw my parents talked and joked with their sisters and their brothers-in-law.
I am now getting to be sure, for the elderly, the most happiest time for them is when they can sit and have dinner together with their beloved one. Though my grandma cannot play with the kids anymore, she was satisfied by seeing the kids play together.
I hope there will be another reunion. It is important to keep in touch with our family, not only with our parents and our siblings, but also with our other relatives.
One thing that I can’t get what my uncle want is that Karaoke. We were too late reserving the place for the karaoke. But at least we can have the gathering. That’s the most important. And yes, everybody was happy 🙂
With meals or without meals, with karaoke or without karaoke, reunions must remain there.
The reunion is very important to maintain a relationship with one another.
My Life is My Rainbow 