This last
weekend my grandma, Mary Roth, celebrated her 90th birthday. That’s a lot of years. Having experienced
the Great Depression and a World War, having raised six rowdy kids on a farm (okay, I'll leave my mom out of it - five rowdy kids), and having
supported an auctioneer who was gone many a weekend, she has seen and
experienced more than most of the world’s population.
I learned a
few more things about her this last weekend I didn’t know. She became a hairdresser, for instance, when she was about
50, but first had to write her grade 12 equivalency before she could study
hairdressing. Having always had my hair
cut by her when I was young, I thought she had done it forever.
There is
definitely a tenacity of spirit that never stopped her from doing things she
wanted to. When she was 88, for
instance, she fought the authorities to get her driver’s license back. She took her driver’s tests and eventually gained back a limited license. Taking your driver’s exam at 88 is likely not
as easy as when you’re 16, especially if this is the first time in your life that you’ve had to take it.
She did
always have a heavy foot though. I
remember one time when she took my cousin and I home in the back of her
half-ton with our bikes. We watched
intently through the back window as the speedometer hit 140 km/h down a
single-lane highway. We thought it was
great fun.
 |
| Mary Roth and her great-granddaughter |
There are a
few other things about my grandma that dispel the myths about “old people.” For one, she certainly doesn’t dress like an
old person. There are never any afghan-like
garments draped over her shoulders or funny hats and white runners. She dresses fashionably, going as far as to
match her eye glasses with her outfits.
When she watches the news, her first comments are often about what the
women anchors are wearing. “Oh that
blouse does not suit her.” Never mind
the news, it’s about the fashion!
Many older
people also tend to scale back their caffeine intake as they get older. A cup of hot water with lemon tends to
replace the watered down coffee.
But Grandma has never watered down her coffee – in fact, quite the
opposite. I think it’s getting
stronger.
One of her
favourite gifts at Christmas time is a Starbucks gift card. She received about $100 worth one Christmas. Now that she’s been given a Keurig coffee
maker for her birthday, she’s free to make a cup of her favourite high-octane
blend with the push of a button.
She’s also
quite an active woman for her age, despite a couple bad falls and broken bones in the last few years While she
may have had to give up bowling (both the real and Nintendo Wii variety),
she can still walk without the aid of a walker or cane. She’s also very independent, even
though she now lives in a senior’s complex with those she calls “old people.”
One other
quirk about my grandma I have to share.
She has the most unique accent when she answers the phone. I don’t think she has a British bone in her
body (she’s of German Mennonite ancestry), but she answers the phone with a very unique British “Hello”. After the greeting, her normal speech
resumes. Like her personality, it’s distinct.
In all the
years, we continue to appreciate her distinct tastes, enthusiasm, and devotion
to her faith and family. Grandma has gone through her share of hardships, yet these haven’t
stopped her. In my view, she’s only
become stronger.
