Mothers' Day

I've learned via the Internet that not every country celebrates this on the first Sunday of May. In fact Hungary is one of the few to hold this fest on this particular date.

Kids, regardless of age pay a visit to their mothers - or at least drop her a phone call.

More often than not, grandmothers are also celebrated by grandkids.

I am fortunate enough to still have one of my two grandmothers alive, she's gonna be 86 this November. She has been living in a special house for elderly since her husband, my grandfather died 3 years ago. I still have a bad feeling about it. Should have it been me, saying yes to accommodate her in our not so very large house? I'm feeling kind of guilty, although noone has ever asked me/us to let her into our house. She can't walk properly now and keeps falling and breaking bones from time to time. The 'house' she's in is run by the Reformed Church and has a 24-hour nurse supersivion. Doctors watch the elderly there every other day I think. The room she has is tidy and not very small.

My mother has a poor health. She would have been unable to take her own mother in. Should have it been me?

My Grandma's living 240 kms away from us. I doubt she would have been willing to go so far away from the town she spent most of her life in, into a new one, with crazy kids around. I pray this solution should be the best for her.

Do you know the (Russian?) tale of the kid, his parents and the very old grandfather?

if you do, just skip the italicized words below- which are the summary of that tale.

There was a family with one little boy, his parents and his grandfather. The parents kept complaining how useless the grandfather really was. For he was weak, he could work no longer out in the fields. For his hands were trembling, he kept spoiling the tablecloth. He needed to be looked after. He took more and more time of the parents. One day the father gave two blankets to the son and told him to escort the grandfather into the woods so that he would no longer be a burden in the family. The father told the boy to give one blanket to use as a bed and the second one as a cover when the grandfather would lie down in the forest. The parents left. When they returned from a hard work from the fields, they found the little boy and one blanket. The father asked about it. The little boy exclaimed he saved the second blanket for the time when his own daddy would be weak and of no use and would give him that blanket when he would send his own son to escort the daddy into the forest. The father, ashamed, went into the woods in search of his own father and took him back to the family house. The grandfather was no longer despised for his weakness and age.

On Mothers' Day, I made a delicious meal for the family, including a special cake that my Grandmother used to make when she was younger. I called her during the day just to say a warm hello for the celebration and told her that the reason I made the cake was to let her being with us. The cake reminded everyone to her and so she was able to be with us, too. She was overwhelmed by the idea, I could tell that from her voice.

When she was much younger and my mother had to go to work, she took me in. From daybreak till dawn my mother left me with her and she took good care of me. She and my grandfather used to have a family house with a garden in the quiet suburbs and my days were always glorious there. Nothing special, but love. Do you need anything more special, anyway? When her feet and hands were aching, I, the little child of that time used to run my fingers and palm over them for a little while to release the pain. She loved that. Everytime I call her her voice changes. She starts with a weak 'yes, who's there?'- barely audible. More often than not the Sun becomes shining again in her voice along our conversation. She's a kind of grandmother one can always turn to - would never, ever reject a child or make fun of its plans and ideas - no matter how strange and idle those might be. Her behaviour taught and still teach us all in the family about acceptance, a positive attitude, strength and faith.

Mami, you'll never gonna read this. You might also never know how guilty I feel, everytime that institution comes into conversation. And I will keep showing my affection and love - as long as I can.This picture above is a combined artifact done in the kindergarten by my daughter. Evrey kid made one picture of his/her own mother. This one depicts me... in a sunny garden with a rainbow. I assume part of Rozi's kind nature is coming from her great-grandmother and I'm proud of it. And will make Rozi proud of it, too.