My Grandma

Alice Hu

My grandma has lived with my family ever since I was born. She came all the way from China by herself to help my mom raise me and my brother. This meant cooking, cleaning, and a lot of household chores. Our bond is hard to put into words; the love between us remains unspoken and shown through subtle actions. My grandma was never one for touchy affection but looking back on it, I know that she showed her love through food.

As a child growing up in the Great Depression and World War II, my grandma grew up with survival constantly on her mind. She often recalls stories of her and her family having to eat the bark off of trees for sustenance. As the only daughter of the family, she had to support her brothers and her parents while also struggling with a lack of food. This experience, which could have broken her, only served to fortify her mentality. My grandma is always determined to do things independently, even though she’s 82 now. Her past experiences have clearly shaped her mentality, as she’s always nagging me to save money and eat as much as I can. She always picks up bottles off the ground so she can recycle them at the bottle depot for money and she always scolds me when I come home from the mall with new clothes. I often scoff at her for these actions, but I realize that it’s simply something ingrained in her—you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Despite being supported by my parents and having secure access to all her basic needs, she can’t help but fall back on old habits. Even when I tell her I’m full, she’ll always insist that I need to eat more. This even goes so far as to my friends; even when they reject snacks, she’ll bring a plate full of fruit, drinks, and some junk food. To my grandma, food is the key to survival. If you give someone food, it’s because you care about their wellbeing and happiness. 

I have definitely taken my grandma and her stories for granted too many times. I forget that she had to endure hardships that I will never have to endure in my lifetime. I forget that she’s seen so many things and she has a wisdom that I haven’t quite yet attained. My grandma gets on my nerves at times, always being picky about this and that. I have often wondered why she can’t just leave it and give me some respect. Thinking back on it, I realize now that I should have been the one to give her respect. She has been through so much and yet continues to fight like a tiger, which is her zodiac sign. Her spirit and her love for me has shone through the little things, like how she always makes homemade dumplings for me. While food may seem insignificant to those who live in a society where they have food security, this is something that many people are constantly thinking about. There are many who must ask themselves if they have enough to get a meal.

There are many like my own grandma who have traumatic experiences regarding food and whose habits have been completely shaped by these experiences.