Lessons from My 100-Year-Old Grandma
My grandma is 100 years old, and she’s taught me some incredible lessons about life that I’ll never forget. Here are three lessons from her that you can use in your own life:
1. Let Go of Fights and Move On
One of the coolest things about my grandma is how peaceful she is. Her voice is calm and kind, and she’s never aggressive. Sure, we’ve had arguments with her—my dad especially—but here’s what’s amazing: the next time we see her, it’s like the argument never happened. She doesn’t keep grudges or drag out the drama.
Instead of rereading the same “chapter” of a fight as some people do, it felt like she just ripped that page out and started fresh. Because of that, she’s always happy to see us, and she never brings up the old arguments. Imagine how much lighter life could feel if you just let go of past arguments and started new chapters, like my grandma does.
2. Show Love Through our stomach
For my grandma, food wasn’t just food—it was her way of saying, “I love you.” She’d spend all morning or even all day cooking for us, and when we sat down to eat, you could feel the love in every bite.
She didn’t have to say, “I love you” all the time because her actions showed it. Whether it was her smile, her joy while watching us eat, or the endless stream of dishes she’d bring to the table, you could tell she cared. She also cleaned and washed all the dishes after we were done. We would often offer to do the dishes and she insisted that she’d do it because “you guys don’t clean the dishes very well” as her excuse.
Her lesson? Love doesn’t always need words, kisses or hugs. Sometimes, the things you do for others say way more.
3. Want to See Someone? Give
Here’s a clever trick my grandma used to see us more often: she’d cook something for us and then casually let us know it was ready. “Hey, I made this for you! Come pick it up!” she’d say.
It wasn’t a question—it was already cooked, and we couldn’t say no. We’d make the trip to her house, sometimes feeling a little annoyed about the drive, but she was always happy to see us. It wasn’t just about the food.
When I look back, I realize she went through all that effort—hours of cooking—just to see us for a few minutes, handing us a bag of food. That’s how much it meant to her.
So if there’s someone you want to see but feel awkward just saying, “I miss you,” try have something to offer as an excuse to see them. It could be a painting you made, your favorite snack, a drink, or even a card. It’s not about the gift itself—it’s about spending time with them.
