Hit Dem Folk.
My grandparents are my heroes. The more I grow up, the more I realise that certain aspects of my personality are directly influenced by them. Everything from my dark humour to my social skills are informed by the way they conduct themselves. I try to spend time with them as often as I can, but given the recent developments with COVID-19, we’ve all had to keep a distance.
I recently visited my Lola and Lolo (Filipino grandparents) to lend my fortnightly IT services. As per usual, Lolo just needed help maximising his YouTube tab and sending a group text. I spoke with Lola while entering all the numbers into the phone.
More often than not, we end up talking about her working days. She always looks back at her career with fondness. Despite her fading memory, she speaks about her days as a courtroom stenographer as if they were recent. The conversation slowly moved over into racial discrimination in her workplace, which she insisted on never experiencing. She later revealed that it had been subtle. Odd looks and rumours, but nothing more.
‘I earned their respect’, she mused. Lola always did speak highly of her coworkers.
Michael’s 1st Birthday with his Lola and Lolo. (Image: Michael Furcciniti)
Nona and Nono (Argentinian grandparents) live a little further away. All of my creativity and appreciation for art comes from their side of the family. Nono usually picks up the phone, and his poor hearing means we usually only get a good half-a-minute in until he hands the phone over to Nona. Sometimes he even calls us to ask something, only to hand over the phone to her when he can’t hear our answers over the phone.
We spoke about the usual - my work, the news, and uni. She told me she had developed arthritis in her foot, and that it was beginning to cause her mild discomfort. Despite other health-related issues, she likes to keep a clear mind.
‘Some people have it so much worse’. I wish I could be as stoic.
Michael and his sister with their Nona and Nono on a family trip. (Image: Michael Furccitini)
Both sets of grandparents moved their families over to Australia for a better life. My siblings and I reap the benefits of that decision every day. When something goes wrong, they don’t look for anyone else to blame, and when things go their way, it’s usually the result of stubborn determination.
As strange as it may sound, the best way to look after my grandparents in this current situation is not to see them, though now is when they need human interaction the most. Give your old folks a call. You never know how much it might brighten their day.
