The story is based on facts. I have experienced it personally in 1978. It was exactly the year when my maternal grandmother changed her residence to heaven.
At that time I was in my 1st grade. My grandmother lived with my mum dad and me. My grandmother Mary was American born and her childhood spent in Manchester USA where she was born. At the age of ten she came back to Poland. When I was born she was in her late sexties but she was my babysitter and taught me a lot of important things in my life. It was the most important person in my childhood I could say more important than my full -time working mum and dad.
My grandma loved flowers and countryside so all photos are for her..
And I remembered this day very well. It was Friday 22 nd September in 1978. The weather was sunny and warm. At 2 p.m I came back from school to home. My grandmother was at home so it meant a delicious dinner for me and great company. As usual I opened the door to my house and I was calling my grandmother but unfortunately nobody answered. So I decided to go to my grandma's room. My grandma was in her bed quietely sleepind so I touched her but she din't react. She was dead and I tried to rescue her but it didn't work...
So I was crying all time and called to my mum. At that moment my world changed forever.
I believe my grandma would be proud of me the only granddaughter. I graduated from two universities I speak foreign languages. I love travelling like her. And the most important I love USA the homeland of my grandma. And I promised my grandma in the past I visit her country one day. And I believe I do my best to be honest person as my granny was.
Thanks grandmother Mary to be part of my childhood. You are always in my memory..
My grandmother meant the world to me. Her death has been the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. The life lessons she passed on has helped me become the person I've become
Oh, Margaret, this is a very touching post. It's so hard when we lose our parents or beloved grand-parents. Ironically, this is the date, 10 years ago, when my father went into the hospital, thinking he had a slight touch of pneumonia that would be treated, and he'd be right back home... and he never came home.
ReplyDeleteI hope you do get to America one day!
I am so sorry about your father.
DeleteGosia or is your name, Margaret???
ReplyDeleteDealing with the passing of a loved one is very difficult, I remember when
both of my grandmothers died - it was very heart wrenching.
But life goes on and you do have the wonderful memories.
There is a very big number of Polish immigrants here - pre-WW2 and post WW2.
I worked next to a group of them - sometimes with the chatter I thought I was in Poland. Strangely they were all in the mapping section of the Brisbane City Council.
Every year for their annual holidays they returned to Poland flying with Korean Air via
Seoul with a stopover for the night and then again with Korean Air direct to Warsaw.
Actually even with the night stopover it was by far the cheapest and quickest route from Australia to Poland.
Poles have been noted for many wonderful enterprises here in Australia.
Our highest peak, Mt Kosciuszko, was named by the Polish Explorer, Paul Edmund
Strezelecki, after a famous Polish General.
You can read all the details if you google: Mt Kosciuszko, Australia.
Cheers
Colin
Colin my name is Malgorzata but in English is Margaret. gosia is my nicknmae. I have read a lot about Polish in Australia..
DeleteGosia, that is a lovely tribute to your grandmother and I am sure she would appreciate the flowers.
ReplyDeleteAndrew thanks a lot
DeleteI'm sure it was a terrible experience for a little girl of 6 or 7 to find her grandmother dead. I'm so sorry for you, and glad you have good memories, too. I'm sure she would be proud of you and I just know you will come to the US someday!
ReplyDeletecynthia it was a terrible experience which have influenced my childhood and I had a lot of problems strictly connected with it. I was too small to experience it..
DeleteSad but lovely post. You were lucky to have such a loving Grandma.
ReplyDelete