Bà Nôi

It was my grandma's birthday yesterday, so I'm dedicating this post to her, to tell her story, and to give thanks to her.

What an amazing lady...she's been through so much but she's still so strong to this day. I'm going to re-write her story as I know it, but there's probably so much more I don't know and don't understand. I really need to just sit down and talk to her...but I'm scared of stirring up sad memories...=/

My grandma raised my dad pretty much by herself. Her husband and two older kids were killed in the French-Vietnamese war...my dad is her youngest and only surviving son. They died when my dad was only a couple years old...so she had to work extremely hard as a single mother to raise him. She worked whatever job she can find and could only afford a one room shack in Sai Gon to live...times were tough...but she survived and had a big extended family that loved her to help her out. She was..the 2nd oldest sibling I think? So people really look up to her. Every time she goes home to Viet Nam people throw her huge parties to welcome her home.

She left home when I was one year old. My dad left her in Viet Nam after the war to find freedom and hope in America. I'll tell his story another time...but he came here and got married and was eventually able to sponsor her over. She left her homeland to come and take care of me. My mom and dad worked all day, so she was the only one at home to take care of me as I grew up. She fed me...changed my diaper, loved my unconditionally. There is no greater love and sacrifice. She left a place she was familiar with, with countless family members to come to a place where she cant' speak the language and can only get around by walking, but she did it for me and my siblings, and we are the people we are because of the way in which she raised us with love and care. We lived down the street from school and she would always bring us hot, yummy home cooked meals. We would get bored and want cafeteria food, but nothing could compare to her food and the love she put into it.

Gosh...what an amazing person...so strong even in her old age...she's been through so much pain and suffering, lost so much, but keeps on giving. She's also one of the most faithful people I know. Despite what happened, she still has unconditional faith. Every morning, she walks to church (about a 20 minute walk away) to attend mass in English even though she doesn't understand anything. Language is not a barrier to her. Because of her, I can speak the amount of Vietnamese I do, and for that I am forever thankful. So many times have I yelled at her, so many times have I been unappreciative and disrespectful...but she has never loved me any less. Through her I've learned so much...I don't know what I'm going to do without her...I need to remember to call her once in a while to see how she's doing...When I was at home, every time I left to go somewhere, she would make sure I have my wallet, keys, phone...at Cal, I don't have that anymore..and I'd forget...heh...I love my Grandma.

Cảm ơn Bà Nôi.

[All these picture were taken by my for my photography class. The first picture is digital, the other two are 35mm black&whute negatives, scanned and edited in Photoshop]