Music

The beauty of music is found in every soul" were the words of my grandmother. She always managed to bring music into every aspect of her life; whether it was ordinary housework or religious functions, she was ready to sing at any time. Her music was not the only part of her life; she was also the mother of six children and the wife of a prominent farmer. Although her life was complicated and, at many times, unbearable, music was never forsaken; it was one of her treasures. Through her and her treasure I realized what life and death really are. Her perseverance through her problems and her patience with her children and grandchildren has always amazed me.

During elementary school, I remember a period of time when my grandmother stayed over our apartment. Although it was uncomfortable for a few weeks, I loved to hear her stories, especially the ones that were songs. It was fascinating because her songs would reflect her experiences, and goals in life; for example, one of her stories was about village women washing their clothes at the river in India. All through my childhood, I listened to her exciting stories, and, even confronted her with questions that made her laugh throughout the night. At that moment her laughter and smile were captured in my heart forever.

As I grew older, my relationship with my grandmother became less of a priority. Instead I began to forget about my family and became more concerned with friends and schoolwork. It was as if old relationships were broken to form new ones; I didn't have enough time to fulfill all the commitments I had. I'll never forget the last time I saw my grandmother; she was planning a trip to India. She was packing for weeks and was waiting eagerly for the plane ride "home". I went to visit her before she left; her frail body seemed as if it was lifeless. I never realized how much pain she was in until I saw her that morning taking her five pills. I tried to persuade her to stay with us; however, she still insisted that she was in perfect condition to go "home". That was the last time I saw her, physically.

She had a successful plane ride to India, but unfortunately she never experienced the return flight. Two