"Amma, my wife and I are heading to the mall with our daughter."
"Son, that's OK. You may proceed. My legs are already hurting. I'm not planning on going to the Mall. You may proceed."
"Grandma, you should also come," the granddaughter insisted...
"Grandma is unable to climb the Mall's several steps. She had never used an escalator before. Grandma would be uninterested because there are no temples there. She is solely interested in visiting temples "explained the daughter-in-law.
Grandma agreed with Granddaughter, but Granddaughter was determined. She refused to go to the Mall unless Grandma was with them. Grandma had no choice but to agree with her dear ten-year-old granddaughter's wishes, despite her repeated protests. She consented to tag along with them.
The granddaughter appeared to be overjoyed. Her parents couldn't get ready because the oldest and youngest were already prepared.
Grandma was escorted to the front room by the youngster. Two parallel lines, a foot apart, were drawn by her. She explained to her grandmother that it was a game and that she had to pretend to be a Crane (Bird).
She needed to keep one leg inside the lines while raising the other three inches.
Grandma inquired, "What is this, my dear?"
"Grandma, this is the Crane game. I'll demonstrate how to play." Both of them played a few times before the father could summon the car...Grandma had mastered the game.
When they arrived at the Mall, the father and mother were concerned about how the elderly lady would handle the escalator.
The granddaughter approached the escalator with her grandmother and asked her to play the Crane game. Grandma raised her right foot, keeping it on one of the moving stairs, and raised her left leg three inches, allowing her to reach the next moving step with ease. This allowed her to effortlessly navigate the escalator to the next level, much to the delight of her son and daughter-in-law. Then Grandma and her granddaughter went up and down the escalator several times, having a good time.
They then proceeded to see a movie at the cinema. With a smile, the granddaughter got a shawl from her suitcase and wrapped it over the elderly lady. She had planned ahead of time for this! They headed to the restaurant after the movie. When the son requested his mother to order the food, his daughter seized the menu from him and placed it into Grandma's hands.
"You can read, so look over the menu and get whatever you want." Grandma chose the dishes that will be served. Grandma and her granddaughter played electronic games after the meal. Grandma went to the bathroom before leaving for home. Taking advantage of the situation, the father asked his daughter how she knew so much about his mother, something he didn't know as a boy.
"Dad, how many preparations are made when a tiny child is taken out of the house - milk bottles, diapers, wipes, and so on!?" All of these things must have been done for you by your mother as well. Why don't you show your mum the same respect? Why did you make the assumption that she was exclusively interested in temples? They have regular desires as well, such as spending time with family, going out, and having fun!
We have to force them to love these things since they may not be able to express it openly."
The father couldn't say anything. He was pleased, though, to have learned a lesson from his ten-year-old daughter...
Reflection
There's a lot that goes into making you the person you are. We make a lot of assumptions about elderly parents that aren't accurate.
It's known as the generational divide.
However, it is a question of perspective and empathy.
It's all about giving back in life.
Do it with grace!