That's my lola up there, the only grandparent I have left. My maternal grandfather and paternal grandparents passed away years ago due to old age. I was never close to any of them and somehow I regret it. I miss them sorely especially my paternal grandfather. Papa (paternal grandfather) was such a tender soul that I became close to him, even though we don't get to talk much (different dialects used). However just being in his presence makes me feel loved and protected. Somehow I miss that feeling.

In regards to my lola (the one in the picture) I never did like her when I was a little kid. She was so stern and strict that I would cry a lot whenever she stayed over to babysit me and my sister. You know how it is with grandparents: do this, don't do that. Disobey and the next thing you know, you're being spanked. God how I hated her then. (Yeah I had my share of spankings back then. Hee hee.) Needless to say, it was a relief when lola migrated to the US. (You might get a bit affronted with this kind of attitude but bear in mind, I was just a kid.) Of course with the next few years or so, I missed her. When I finally saw her last year, my heart broke a little. Ang laki ng tinanda ng lola. Besides her having high blood pressure and osteoporosis, I learned that she's been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease just recently. Sigh. Within the last year, I have seen my lola's progressive decline. I just hope she'll be able to hold on until mom arrives.