I have a question for you. How many poems do you remember that you learnt in school? Not only the names of the poems but the entire poem? I would be surprised if you remembered even one full poem. while we may remember a line here or there, very few of us would remember a whole poem.
And yet, here is my grandmother, who turned 100 years old on the 12th of January this year and remembers several poems from school despite school for her being more than 80 years ago!
Born in 1923 in Lahore, her family migrated to India after partition. Schooled in Shimla, she became a doctor. Not many females in those days even studied, let alone go all the way up to Medicine. Marriage brought her to Hyderabad and she practised till she was about 70.
An extraordinary woman, she played the piano and instilled a love for music in all her children. Blessed with a pure heart devoid of any malice, she was very well read and could hold a conversation about politics and current affairs even till a couple of years ago. She always believed in enjoying life and always encouraged us, her grandchildren to travel and see the world. She herself traveled to many countries with her late husband, my grandfather.
She called me the "essence of correctness" and would come home every single day to check on my health during the early days of my kidney disease.
I often wonder how people can live so long. The answer is obvious though. She never used a cell phone, was never on Social Media, rarely ate processed food, ate a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, kept busy, her day offered enough exercise just by doing normal things and she did not need to visit a gym for exercise. Small things brought her happiness. A simple, normal life.
We overestimate 'the secret of longevity'. We knew it all along. A simple, normal life.
Here's a picture of my family with her on her hundredth birthday and one with her three daughters and son.
Comments
Usha balu.