Happy 98th Birthday Granma...

 Yesterday, my lil' family and I visited our Granma on the occasion of her 98th birthday which was on the same day of Halloween. We reflected that for my family we didn't do the whole 'trick or treating' around the streets as that's a more recent development starting with the Warehouse triggering the whole industry with its promotion of it.

Our youngest instead went to a 'light party' on the Sunday before and was able to enjoy time with other children. I remember growing up and not having such holidays which weren't either celebrating a special cultural event or something of significance to our faith. Perhaps Nov 5 as in Guy Fawkes is similar.

As for my Granma, I was able to reflect upon a diary that I wrote back in 1989 in starting to re-collect information for a novel that I am researching and remembered how she had accompanied me to Samoa for my Masters fieldwork and how helpful she was. My Gran was a formidable matriarch back when I was young and seeing her at this mature age reminds me of how blessed we have been to see her through to her twilight years.

She was born back in 1919, after World war 2 and she has survived many more since then. I think of how blessed I am in the legacy that she demonstrated to all of our family in her strong faith which has been passed onto my father and now to me and my family.

We're not sure whether she will be able to reach her 100th birthday but already we have been blessed in so many ways. In recollecting many memories of some of the things she did and was helps us to consider the type of legacy that we wish to leave for our children and generations.

So blessed to have seen the blessing in my Granma...