[Life] Holding Grandpa and Grandma's Hands

Author: JEFFI CHAO HUI WU

Time: 2025-7-14 Monday, 11:26 AM

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[Life] Holding Grandfather and Grandmother's Hands

From the moment my children came into this world, I knew that my life had gained two gentle yet steadfast forces of attraction—not from me, but from the two elderly individuals beside me who selflessly dedicate themselves and willingly play the role of supporting characters—my parents, who are the grandparents of my children. Since the day they were born, these two children have been cherished and doted upon by their grandparents, who have taken care of them with meticulous attention and love. Even today, as the children have grown into adults, whenever they walk alongside their grandparents, that sense of intimacy and dependence remains undiminished.

Do you remember when they were little? As soon as I put on a stern face and was about to scold them, Grandpa and Grandma would rush out from the living room, standing in front of them like they were protecting newborn fawns: “Don’t scold before meals; it affects appetite and digestion.” I had to swallow my words. Just after dinner, when I wanted to say a few things, “You can’t speak harshly right after eating; it hurts their feelings and affects absorption.” Made a mistake at night? No way, “Don’t scold before bed; it affects their sleep.” Just got up early in the morning? “Aren’t you afraid of scaring them?” In this way, I became the only one not allowed to “educate” the kids. As long as Grandpa and Grandma were around, the kids always managed to escape unscathed. And even when they weren’t there, I couldn’t resist the “hotline” from the two little ones—“Grandpa, Dad just scolded us again.” Then, I would wait for my father’s resolute reprimand on the other end of the line: “You can’t be too harsh!”

The children grew up in Sydney from a young age, but they were never as lonely or alienated as most children from immigrant families. From the very beginning, they were tightly embraced in love by their grandparents. During their kindergarten and primary school years, come rain or shine, their grandparents would pick them up and drop them off at school every day. The two children, one holding their grandfather's hand and the other holding their grandmother's, would walk along the street, with their backpacks always willingly taken over by their grandparents. When school was over, even before the children had stepped out of the school gate, those familiar figures would already be standing outside, holding their favorite snacks—fried potato cakes, donuts, and sometimes warm red bean buns. That scene became the warmest footnote in their childhood memories.

Two little ones, each holding one of their grandparents' hands, walking slowly.

After entering middle school, the children gradually no longer needed to be picked up or dropped off. I thought it was time for my grandparents to "retire," but to my surprise, they still appeared at the train station without fail. Every afternoon, they waited there on time, rain or shine, not for anything else, but for that long-standing snack and a reassuring smile. Even knowing that the children could go home by themselves, they still chose to wait because they could never put their minds at ease. It wasn't until the children graduated from college that my grandparents truly let go of the "pick-up and drop-off" duty they had imposed on themselves.

Nowadays, the children have grown up, taller than their grandparents by a significant margin. When they speak, their thoughts are organized and their logic clear, but as soon as they talk to their grandparents, their tone remains childlike, just like when they were little—coquettish, playful, and asking for hugs, completely devoid of the awkwardness and restraint of adulthood. And the grandparents continue to dote on and spoil them; every time Grandma comes over, she brings a box of chocolates and a few bags of chips—though the children are no longer elementary school students, they can still smile like three-year-olds at the sight of a chocolate.

Once, when we went out together, I saw two children who looked like adults, one on the left and one on the right, holding their grandparents' hands, chatting and laughing as they walked through the crowd. At that moment, I suddenly felt a bit teary-eyed. Indeed, how many people go through life without ever having the chance to walk such a long way holding their grandparents' hands, while my children, from their first words to their graceful stature, from their wobbly steps to stepping into society, have never let go of those hands.

I know that such days are not to be taken for granted. In this fast-paced world, where family ties are often compressed into fragmented moments, having grandparents who are fully present is the most precious blessing in a child's life. Moreover, this love is not a fleeting passion, but a steadfast commitment that lasts for decades—never absent, never discounted.

As a father, I may not always be gentle, nor always patient, but grandparents, with their unwavering love, fill in the softest parts of children's growth. They are the harbor of children's emotions, the arms that are always open, and the lighthouse they can always rely on in their life's journey.

For many years, every time they went out, the two children still held their grandparents' hands, one on the left and one on the right. That scene seemed to transport them back to the dusk at the kindergarten gate—only this time, the little ones were the children, and now the little ones are the elderly they love most in their lives. The bond they held in their hands has already completed the transition from being cared for to actively nurturing.

Two big guys, each holding one of their grandparents' hands, walking slowly.

But what remains unchanged is that love, that thread, which has never been severed.

They hold their grandparents' hands, as well as the memories that belong to home, to family ties, and to a lifetime that can never be severed.

When the grandchildren are not out together, I take their hands and walk slowly with grandpa and grandma.

To this day, Grandma's chocolate and potato chips are still here!

As I wrote, my eyes remained moist!

Written on July 14, 2025

Source: https://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=696860