Additional Coverage:
- Growing up, I spent nearly every weekend with my grandmother. She made me see that I am smart and powerful. (businessinsider.com)
My Brooklyn Grandma: A Legacy of Love and Self-Worth
From ages six to twelve, weekends meant Brooklyn. While my mom navigated personal challenges and my dad lived in Mexico, my two younger sisters and I found solace and love in our grandmother’s apartment. Those weekends shaped me profoundly, instilling lessons that resonate even today.
Every Saturday, the ritual began: a ride in my grandparents’ yellow Chevy Impala, Frank Sinatra serenading us across the Brooklyn Bridge, the East River shimmering beside us. A mandatory stop at the 86th Street Baskin-Robbins, managed by my uncle, kicked off the weekend’s sweetness. But the real treat was Grandma Mary’s love, woven into her homemade blintzes, kosher chicken, and chocolate pudding served in elegant, leaf-shaped glasses.
Grandma Mary wasn’t just my grandmother; she was my best friend. Her constant praise, her Yiddish endearments (“Leslie, you are such a love, you are my mama shana bubbeleh!”), nurtured a deep sense of self-worth.
Her apartment, though small, felt like a palace, a sanctuary of hugs, kisses, and unconditional love. It was a refuge for my sisters and me, a place where we felt cherished and safe.
Grandma Mary’s wisdom extended beyond affection. She instilled in me the importance of expressing my feelings, a lesson that proved invaluable in my adult life.
As I navigated the early years of marriage and motherhood, struggling to communicate with my husband, her simple question, “Do you talk to him? Do you sit down and have coffee, just the two of you, and actually talk?”, cut through the confusion.
Her limited formal education belied a profound understanding of human connection.
Though Grandma Mary is no longer with us, her legacy lives on. The strong bonds my own daughters share with their extended family echo the love and support I received in Brooklyn.
I see her influence in their growing confidence, a testament to the power of unconditional love and familial connection. Grandma Mary’s lessons continue to guide us, shaping our relationships and reminding us of our own inherent worth.