We give what we can....

Today it's my grandmother's Francisca 90th birthday.
She is my father's dad, Spanish, raised in Brazil she stopped all her life to come and live with my family upon my mother's death. When my mother died I was 8 years old and my sister 5. My father then invited asked my grandmother, Francisca, do look after us. She then moved to our home.
She was always very cold, never showed her true feelings. She had a very old and fashioned approach to life that I never agreed with. She used to do things I never agree...we always clashed, always.... She used to give me and my sisters advices like;
'Never marry a working class person. You got to go for the money and be suceed'
'Friends will never do anything to you. Money it's the real friend..'

Well...you can see where I come from. In the other side I always been crazy in love with my other grandparents (my mother's parents). I could never get the way she could not demonstrate love towards anybody, I could never get the way she could be so into money and material things....

I grew up - not hating her - but NOT liking her that much... I mean, I never hated her but I used to dislike her...a little.

Later in life, teenage went by, the twenties went by and now, 30 years old I completely admire that woman. I finally understand and truly get the amazing things she ha done to me and my sister. That woman who was always active, full of life and a working hard woman, stopped all her life, left her home and everything to move into a small bedroom at my father's house to look after me and my sister. She dedicated 6 SIX years of her life to us. Now, as an adult, I understand how important each day of our busy life is....time is so precious and that woman gave 6 PRECIOUS years of her life to me and my sister.

With regards the bad advices, the material mind, the other several wrong things I never agreed with today and only today I understand that she gave to us the best she had, could not have been the best for me, or perhaps what I expected to be, BUT she gave to us her best and her best was all she knew and could offer...

I called her in Brazil today to wish happy birthday... She cried on the phone when she heard my voice and said; I will never forget that you remembered my birthday.... She didn't say I love you but I said and it doesn't matter she didn't say it because I do love her..and I will be always grateful for what she has done...